The Guardian
by Rhianna-Aurora
Summary: A modern-day Aurikku. Auron is a police detective, bound to avenge the deaths of his partners, Jecht and Braska. He never counted on Braska's niece showing up and teaching him how to love. ON HIATUS.
1. Chapter 1: Nothing Man

**Chapter One**  
**Nothing Man**_  
_  
He was in the shower, rinsing off the remnants of the cheap sex he'd had not one hour ago, when his phone rang. Wrapping a towel around his waist, he stepped out of the bathroom and walked to the phone on his bedside table.

"LaGuard," he said sharply into the receiver. It better be Gods-damn important for whomever to be calling at two-thirty in the morning.

"Auron?" A small female voice asked tentatively.

Instantly Auron relaxed. "Yuna," he said gently. "What's wrong?"

Yuna laughed a little on the other end of the line. "I'm sorry to be calling so late," she said. "But, um, you said to call if I ever saw that guy around here again, and . . ."

"He was _there_? At your building? When?"

"Well, I just got home about twenty minutes ago, and as I was coming in, he was leaving," Yuna said, taking a shaky breath.  
Ever since her father's death one year ago, strange things had been happening. Braska Summers, Yuna's father, had been one of Auron's partners on the Bevelle Police Department. They were detectives, along with another man, Jecht Messenger. One year ago, a drug ring had been discovered in Bevelle – being covered up by some high-ranking government officials.

When Auron, Braska, and Jecht had gone in to blow their cover, they had thought all had gone well. Many arrests were made that night; they thought the case was solved. Braska and Jecht had gone on to the car, while Auron stayed to finish up the report.

A car bomb had been set – Braska and Jecht died that night. Auron had heard the explosion, and had run to try and save them. But he had been too late. They had died instantly.

Auron had been distraught by the loss of his best friends. To make matters even worse, when he left the hospital that night, someone who was obviously tied to the drug ring had mugged him. Auron managed to take him down and cuff him, but not before the man had sliced his switchblade down the entire right side of Auron's face, permanently scarring his face and rendering his right eye useless.

After that night, people who were directly tied to Jecht, Braska, and Auron began receiving threatening phone calls and letters.

That was how Auron had met Yuna. Braska's young daughter, a medical student. She had seemed so fragile and afraid when she had called the Police Department that first night after she had noticed a strange man following her home after her class.

Auron had taken it upon himself to watch out for Braska's daughter. He figured it was the least he could do – since he hadn't been able to save him.

Things calmed down after about three months. Everyone began to breathe easier, and Yuna stopped calling Auron for a ride home every night after her late class got out.

But beginning just last month, Yuna had started noticing a young man following her on a regular basis. She had never seen him before, and his presence was unsettling to her. So she had called the Police Department and spoken to Auron about it. He had gone to extra-cautionary measures to make sure she remained safe.

Thus, the two-thirty a.m. phone call.

"Did he say anything to you?" Auron asked the girl.

"No. But I got a good look at him this time. He's about five-foot-ten or so, looks athletic – maybe he plays blitzball or something? – blond hair, blue eyes," Yuna described.

Auron was scribbling down her description on the legal pad he kept beside the phone. "Okay, Yuna, I'll see what I can do," Auron said. "Are you going to be all right?"

He could hear her sniffle a little. "Yeah. I'll be fine. I've got the deadbolt on, and besides, I'm pretty sure he's gone now," she said.

"Are you sure? Because I can come over."

"No, no, Auron. You need to get some sleep. Besides, I'm probably just overreacting, like Officer Kinoc said. After everything that's happened, it's to be expected, right?" She took a deep breath. "I just wanted to let you know – I wasn't trying to worry you or anything. I'll call you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay, Yuna," Auron said. He was reluctant to hang up the phone. But he always felt that way. He felt that he couldn't fail in this duty – keeping Braska's daughter safe had become his mission.

After he hung up the phone, he walked into the kitchen and opened up the cabinet where he kept his liquor. He took a long swig out of one of the bottles of Jack Daniels and carried it back into the other room with him. Ever since the deaths of his two best friends, his drinking had become a regular thing. Every night, he drank to numb the pain. It was the only way he could sleep. It was the only way the nightmares didn't plague him.

Yuna hung up the phone and took another shaky breath. She hadn't wanted to worry Auron. He'd been so nice to her since her father's death. So attentive. He always made sure that she was safe. He'd even given her a cell phone so that she could always be reached – or so that she could always reach him.

Carefully, she stood up and walked toward the window. Gingerly, she moved the curtain back to look down over the lights of the city. She gasped when she saw the man that had been following her standing on the sidewalk below, looking up at her window.

"Damn it," she whispered, jumping away from the window and heading back for the phone.

The sound of pebbles being tossed at her window caused her to freeze. Slowly, she turned, and walked back to the window. Moving the curtain again, she looked down. The blond man was holding up something shiny. Yuna couldn't tell what it was from her fifth floor apartment.

He motioned for her to open her window. _I must be going crazy,_ Yuna thought to herself. _I'm actually contemplating this?_ She couldn't explain it, but she felt that she could trust this man, so she cracked the window.

"I need to talk to you!" the man yelled up at her.

"Who _are_ you?" Yuna called back. "Why are you following me?"

"I had to make sure you were the one! I can't talk to just anyone about what I need to talk to you about!"

"What?"

"Come down here. I swear to Yevon, you can trust me. This is my badge! I'm a police detective!"

Yuna looked at him questioningly. "I've never seen you before! I _know_ the police in this city!"

"So call them if you want! I'm not from Bevelle, but I've followed a case all the way down here from Zanarkand! I _swear_. I'm a cop," the man said.

"Wait in the lobby. I'm going to call a friend," Yuna called back.

He nodded and headed around the building. Yuna went to the phone and dialed.

Auron answered on the third ring, his voice sounded thick. "LaGuard."

"You need to get over here. _Now_. That guy? He's a cop."

Auron was there in less than fifteen minutes. He strode into the lobby and walked straight over to the young blond man. "You say you're a cop?" he barked. He was in no mood for anyone to be giving him any shit at this point.

"Tidus Messenger, from Zanarkand," the younger man said. "And you're Detective LaGuard. My father spoke of you often."

"Messenger?" Auron nearly choked. "You're – you're Jecht's son?"

"I am. I've been sent from the Zanarkand department to help you with this case. This drug ring is still highly active in the north, and in the south. The Al Bhed police force in Bikanel got almost completely decimated by a shootout last week," Messenger said.

"I heard about that," Auron said. "That doesn't explain why you've been following Yuna."

The blond man smiled. "Is that her name? Yuna?" Auron narrowed his one good eye at the boy. Messenger cleared his throat. "Ahem, anyway. I've been trying to stay somewhat undercover. People tend to talk more freely around you if they don't know you're a detective. I had to make sure she was, in fact, Summers' daughter. Seeing as she called you, I'm certain of it now."

Auron nodded. Messenger made some good points. And he could be an asset to this baffling case. No one in Bevelle knew him as a cop – he could probably find out more than Auron and the other police in this town could ever hope to. And he was Jecht's son. "Well, then, we'll keep you low profile," Auron told him. "The fewer people that know you're a cop, the better." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "It was wise of you to avoid the police station."

"Hey, I may be a rookie, but I'm not stupid!" Messenger shot back.

"Well, if we're going to keep you low-profile, I wouldn't go around announcing that your name is Messenger. And also, I'm assigning you the task of watching out for Yuna." With that, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone.

Within minutes, the brunette daughter of Braska Summers was in the lobby, meeting her new protector for the first time.

"So, basically, he's still going to be following me around?" Yuna asked once everything was explained to her.

Auron nodded. "You could say that."

Yuna smiled at Tidus. "Well, it could be worse," she said brightly.  
_  
Damn right it could,_ Tidus was thinking. This girl was absolutely gorgeous.

The three of them stood in a secluded corner of the lobby talking for a bit longer. At three-thirty, Yuna yawned. "Wow. I didn't realize how late it was. I should go to bed – my internship starts in the morning."

Auron nodded. He turned to Tidus. "You have a place to stay?"

Tidus nodded. "Yeah, I'm good. Remember, I've been here for a month!"

"It was nice to meet you, Tidus," Yuna said, touching his arm as she walked past him.

"Nice meeting you," he said, watching her walk away, admiring her figure.

"Watch it," Auron said warningly.

"What?" Tidus asked innocently. Auron just shook his head.

All of a sudden, the lobby doors burst open, and a tall and shapely blonde rushed in, face wet with tears. "Yunie!" she called out when she saw Yuna.

Yuna, who was halfway to the elevator, turned at the sound of the voice. She rushed to the girl's side. "Rikku? Rikku, what's wrong?" she asked, concern written all over her face.

"Yunie, he's gone – they're gone! There was a – a bomb at the factory! I'd already left for the evening, but Dad and Brother were still there!" The girl could hardly catch her breath.

"Oh, no," Yuna gasped. "When did this happen?"

"Two days ago," Rikku sobbed. "I couldn't get out of Bikanel until yesterday. I didn't know where to go, so I came here!"

"Well, you came to the right place. I wouldn't have wanted you to go anywhere else," Yuna said, pulling the girl into a comforting embrace.

Tidus and Auron had already walked over to the girls. "What's going on?" Auron asked. Rikku told them about the bomb in her family's computer factory. Auron nodded along with the story, but then realized one key element was missing. "Who _are_ you?" he asked.

Rikku looked up at him, a little startled. "Rikku. Rikku Sands," she said quietly.

Yuna looked at Auron. "Rikku is my cousin," she said. Quietly, she asked, "Do you think that this is connected?"

"I'm sure of it," Auron said, still looking at the new girl. She had mascara running down her face, and her eyes were bloodshot. She looked like she hadn't slept or changed her clothes since the explosion. Her golden hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail and she wore torn jeans and a bright pink tank top that was smudged with dirt.

She was Gods-damned adorable.

"This is Detective LaGuard – Auron. He was my father's partner. And this is Tidus," Yuna was telling Rikku. "I'll tell you about him later." Auron nodded. "For now, let's get you upstairs. You look so tired. Don't worry, though, Rikku. You'll be safe here."

Rikku nodded and picked up her bag that she had set down. She looked back at Auron. He looked so strong and brave – she felt better just knowing he was there. "Nice to meet you," she said timidly as she followed her cousin.

Auron watched her walk off, admiring her retreating form.

"Watch it," Tidus said mockingly.

"Humph," Auron responded. His head was pounding. "Go get some sleep," he told Tidus. "We're in for a _very_ long ride."


	2. Chapter 2: Fall From Grace

A/N: Well, I realize that it has taken me a loooong time to get this up! But here it is, chappie two of my modern-day Aurikku! Yay! So I made it kinda long to make up for my lack of writing. I am introducing some more familiar characters in this chapter -- I hope you like what I've done with them. XD I actually am pretty fond of this chapter -- good stuff is going to be happening very soonly -- but you realize that these things must be set up properly. :)

**Chapter Two**  
**Fall From Grace**_  
_  
Rikku followed Yuna into her apartment and set her bag in the corner of the guest bedroom, as Yuna instructed her to. "Will this be okay?" Yuna asked her shaken cousin.

Rikku nodded, eyes wide, as she looked around the room. "I just – after Braska died and all – I _waited_, you know? I thought something might happen with my family. And when it didn't, I – I was glad. I don't understand why they waited so long."

Yuna put a reassuring arm around Rikku's shoulders. "To throw us off, that's why. But don't worry. Detective LaGuard is the best there is. He has a lot vested in this. Braska and Jecht were his partners."

Rikku nodded. "So who is Tidus?"

Yuna's eyes darted around as if she feared eavesdroppers. "He's Jecht's son," she whispered. "But don't say anything. He's undercover."

"You and the detective, you're close, huh?" Rikku said softly.

"Auron?" Yuna's brow furrowed. "He's been there since my father died. He was the one who came to tell me, as soon as he could. He stayed with Dad and Jecht until they were declared – dead. And then he came to tell me, but he got mugged on his way here." She motioned to her right eye.

"Oh! Is that why . . .?" Rikku asked.

Yuna nodded sadly. "He's got a nasty scar on his chest too."

Rikku raised an eyebrow at her cousin. "Just how close _are_ you two?"

Yuna laughed nervously and blushed. "Not _that_ close. He's almost forty!"

Rikku shrugged. "That's not _that_ old," she said. "So what do _you_ think of all this? Do you have any ideas?"

"I used to think that I knew. It seemed so cut and dry – the drug ring, the government officials who were covering it up. But they seem to have their goons everywhere in Spira. Really, it could be _anyone_. The government has a lot of people who work for them on the down-low."

"Scary," Rikku said with an involuntary shiver. "So do you think they have you bugged?" she said quietly.

Yuna shrugged. "Auron's run several checks on the place – usually two or so a week. He hasn't found anything suspicious yet."

Rikku nodded. "So I guess it's safe here, huh?"

"Safe as any other place when you're related to Braska," Yuna said.

"How'd you meet Tidus then?"

"Well, I _thought_ that he was following me – that he was connected to whoever killed Dad," Yuna said. "But we just learned tonight that he's from Zanarkand, and he's – you know who's you know what," she said quietly.

Rikku laughed. "Nice code, Yunie," she said.

Yuna rolled her eyes. "I'm not used to all this. My life was finally starting to get better – and then it all started up again. More letters, more scary phone messages."

"We didn't get _anything_ like that," Rikku said. "We had a perfectly normal day. I left at five and went home. At five-twenty-two, _boom_!" She looked around again, as if she expected someone to jump out from behind a door.

"So the detective – he's here a lot, then?" she ventured slowly. The tall, dark, and handsome investigator had intrigued her.

"A few times a week – maybe more now that you're here," Yuna said.

Rikku's head jerked up. "Why more now that I'm here?" Her heart sped up a little.

Yuna looked at Rikku sympathetically. "Because of what just happened with your family," she explained.

"Oh! Oh, right!" Rikku blushed. "Why else?"

"Why else indeed," Yuna said quietly. "If you'd like to take a shower, the bathroom's just down the hall. There are towels in the tall cabinet in the hallway. And my room is right across the hall if you need anything."

Rikku nodded, and then hugged her cousin impulsively. "Thank you, Yunie!" she said quietly.

"Any time, Rikku," Yuna told her cousin. She turned to go back to her room then.

Outside the apartment building, a man dressed all in black spoke into a walkie-talkie. "The Zu has landed," he said. "All three targets are in Bevelle."

There was static, and then a response. "Good work. Lie low for a few days – maybe even a week – and then make the next move."

"Roger, over and out," the man in black said.

"Over and out." Seymour Guado, the highest official in Spira clicked off his own two-way radio and looked at the men seated around his makeshift office, now located in the forgotten Omega Ruins. "Our plan has worked perfectly. The three descendants are all in Bevelle. We know that investigator will do all he can to protect them – even if it costs him his life. That's all we're really looking for. We don't want to kill the _children_. They can't hurt us. But he can." Seymour opened the file he had started on Auron LaGuard, and tossed the black-and-white photo onto the desk. "Once we get LaGuard out of the way, we can stop hiding, and finally have the kind of control of Spira that we deserve."

A woman stood in the background of the room, dressed in the same dark clothing as everyone else. She listened to Seymour's spiel and then darted out of the room, unnoticed.

She hurried down the hallway of the dark ruins and turned a corner where she knew her accomplice was waiting. "Did you get it?" the man asked her.

Sighing, the woman removed her hood and shook out her long black hair. Her reddish-brown eyes lit up as she pulled the tiny recorder from her pocket. "Every word out of his filthy little mouth." Looking behind her, she quickly stuck the recorder back into her pocket. "Come on. We have to get back to Bevelle before they initiate their little plan."

She pulled the hood back over her head and peeked around the corner. "Okay, it's all clear. Let's go."

The two of them made their way through the dungeon and to their waiting airship. Wakka Capitan had scoffed at the idea of using an airship for so long, but after much persuasion and coercion from his pretty partner, he had finally agreed. And now he couldn't imagine getting around Spira without it. Or her.

They sat down on the bridge of the airship, and she removed her bulky hood and overcoat. Wakka couldn't help but notice the low neckline of her stretchy black V-neck shirt that hugged her curves to perfection.

Lulu Magis was oblivious to the attention. She played the tape for Wakka. "I cannot _believe_ the nerve of that Guado!" she raged. "He's a bloody fool if he thinks it will be that easy to take down LaGuard. Auron's _not_ an idiot. He knows when he's being followed."

Wakka glared stonily. He and Lulu had been partners in the espionage department of the Bevelle Police Department since it had been founded, close to a year-and-a-half ago. It had been decided that the P.D. needed to have spies working for them on the drug case that had taken the life of two of their own. Lulu Magis and Wakka Capitan had been among the first hired, and were immediately partnered.

Wakka had begun to believe in love at first sight when he first laid eyes on his new partner. Lulu hadn't been as responsive to his flirtations as he had hoped. She seemed more enamored of Detective LaGuard. She claimed he was her personal hero, and that she wanted to be just like him someday.

Wakka kind of hated Auron LaGuard. How was he, a lowly blitzball player with unruly looks such as his own, supposed to compete with Bevelle's handsome hero?

"Wakka?" Lulu was talking to him.

"Yah?" he asked.

"Is something wrong?" she asked him, concern in her eyes. She would never admit it, but over the past year-and-a-half, she had become quite fond of her partner. He seemed to clam up everytime she mentioned Detective LaGuard though. She smiled to herself. _Jealous, are we, Wakka? You have nothing to worry about. Auron is an icon – a legend._ You _are someone I could love.  
_  
She frowned as the thoughts entered her head. What was _that_ all about? She knew better than to mix business with pleasure.

"Nothing's wrong, Lu," Wakka said in a cool tone. "Are we in Bevelle yet?"

Lulu shook her head and stood up. She touched the top of Wakka's head and played with the long, flame-red spike of hair he wore in the front. "Your hair," she said with a small chuckle.

"What's a matter wit' my hair?" Wakka protested. He spoke with the accent of the island-dwelling Besaidians.

"Absolutely nothing," Lulu told him gently. "I'm going to get some food from the galley. Would you like anything?"

Wakka reluctantly stood up. "I'll go wit' you."

Walking ahead of him, Lulu smiled to herself.

The next morning, in Bevelle, Yuna woke early to get ready for her classes. At seven-thirty, there was a knock on the door. Yuna used the peephole and smiled when she saw Tidus' blond head.

She opened the door. "Good morning!" she said brightly, motioning for him to come inside. "Have to keep it down. Rikku's still asleep." She smiled at him. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to make sure you get to class all right," Tidus told her, smiling back. He felt goofy around her, and he didn't really know why.

"Oh! Okay," she said. "Auron's orders, huh?"

"Partly," Tidus said cryptically.

"Hmm. Let me just go tell Rikku that I'm leaving," Yuna said, disappearing down the hallway.

She opened the door to her cousin's room. "Rikku?" she said softly, shaking her gently.

"Mmm?" Rikku mumbled sleepily. "Yuna?" Her green eyes opened.

"I have to go to class now," Yuna said. "If you need anything, the police department number is on the fridge. Just ask for Detective LaGuard. I won't be home until about eight. Will you be all right?"

Rikku nodded. "I'll be fine, Yunie, thanks. You be careful!"

Yuna smiled and headed out. "So – partly Auron's orders, huh?" she pressed Tidus as they walked to the elevator.

"Well, he was going to come, but I volunteered," Tidus admitted.

"Really?" Yuna said, eyes lighting up. "Wow."

"Don't look so shocked. You're the prettiest girl I've ever stalked."

Yuna's mouth dropped open. "What?"

Tidus laughed. "Just kidding."

Yuna smiled sadly. "I see."

"But – not about the pretty part," Tidus told her. She looked up at him hopefully.

"Thanks," she said quietly.

Rikku went back to sleep and slept until about eleven-thirty. Sleeping was the only way she could avoid having to think about what happened to her father and brother – and even then, it wasn't foolproof. The explosion was in her dreams.

She crawled out of bed, showered, and dressed. She started looking through Yuna's fridge for food, but found nothing that really appealed to her. She closed the door and saw the paper stuck on the fridge with a magnet shaped like a Hypello. The police department's number and address.

Smiling, she went to grab her jacket. She had a better idea. She hurried down the busy Bevellian streets to the gray stone building with the sign that said "Bevelle Police Department."

She walked inside and the woman at the front desk greeted her. "May I help you?"

"Um, I'm looking for Detective LaGuard," Rikku said.

The lady smiled kindly. "His office is down that hallway, second on the left. His name's on the door."

Rikku smiled. "Thanks." She walked down the hallway and found the door easily. She knocked on the door gently.

"Enter." His voice sounded scratchy, like he hadn't slept well.

Rikku peeked her head around the corner. "Hi," she said carefully.

She noted the woman sitting across from LaGuard. Tall, long-legged, with long dark hair. She was dressed in a tight black V-neck sweater and short black skirt and impossibly high heels. Rikku smiled a bit self-consciously. This woman was so gorgeous and put-together. Rikku felt so young and dowdy dressed in her faded hip-hugger jeans and a bright yellow halter-top, with her brown leather jacket and thick-soled brown boots to complete the ensemble.

"Rikku, good morning," Auron said. He wondered at the curious speeding up of his heart when the girl entered. He motioned for her to shut the door behind her. "Rikku, this is Lulu Magis. She works here. She's just found out some interesting information."

Lulu raised an eyebrow at Auron's candidness with the young blonde who had just entered the room. "Ahem," she said loudly.

"Right. I'm sorry. Lulu, this is Yuna Summers' cousin, Rikku Sands," Auron explained.

Lulu stood up gracefully. "Right, right. From Bikanel, yes? Sorry to hear about your father and brother."

Rikku nodded. "Thanks," she said quietly. "Um, so what – what was the news?"

Lulu handed Rikku a photograph. "The man in the picture is Seymour Guado. He is the highest-ranking official in Spira. He's also a bit mad. Completely power-hungry. From the evidence that I've gathered, he may be the one behind everything. You understand that I can't go into any more detail than that with you," Lulu explained.

Rikku nodded. "What – what do you do here, Miss Magis?" she asked.

Lulu laughed. "Lulu, please. I'm not at liberty to discuss that." She breezed past Rikku and to the door. "I'll be in touch, Auron," she said, grinning at him suggestively as she left the room.

Rikku fought off the urge to glare. "Nice lady," she said to Auron when Lulu was gone.

"Lulu? She's all right. A bit cool, but good at what she does," Auron said. He shuffled some papers on his desk and then looked up at Rikku. "Is everything okay?"

Rikku nodded. "Yeah, everything is fine. It's just – Yuna's in class all day. I don't know anyone here, except you. I guess I was just lonely." She shrugged. "But if you're busy, I can just go home."

"Did you walk here alone?" Auron asked her.

"Um, yeah," she said.

Auron took a deep breath and told himself to calm down. "You realize that that is dangerous, right?"

A light dawned on Rikku's face. "Oh, right. I – I forgot. I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I didn't even think."

"Well, you had better start," Auron said warningly.

Rikku fought back tears. "Yessir," she said in a voice barely above a whisper.

Auron shook his head and exhaled noisily. "Well, since you're here, would you care to join me for lunch?"

Rikku perked up. "Really?"

"Well, it's either eat with you or eat alone – _again_. Company would be nice," Auron said.

"Okay." Rikku said, smiling. "Where are we eating?"

Auron chuckled a bit. "The cafeteria. It's not fine dining, but I'm sure you understand."

Rikku nodded. "Sounds great," she said. And she meant it. The more she was in his presence, the more enamored of him she became. He really _was_ looking out for her – his anger at her walking alone had proven that. And he was _so handsome_. The scar did nothing to deter from his handsomeness.

Of course, he probably looked at her only as someone to look after. The thought dampened her mood a little. She wondered what it would be like to be with him, but quickly pushed the thoughts out her mind before her imagination took over.

Auron walked beside the girl to the cafeteria on the lower level of the department. He kept glancing at her surreptitiously. He liked what he saw. Her curves were hugged perfectly by the jeans and top she was wearing. He found himself wishing she would take her jacket off so he could admire more of her form.

He shook his head for thinking such things. He was far too old – nearly forty – for one so youthful and pretty to take any interest in. Yes, she had come to see him, but as she had said, she was lonely. Yuna was gone, and she was in a strange city. She had just lost her father and her brother. The only other person she knew in this town was Auron.

However, when she looked up at him and locked her spiraled green eyes with his own gaze and gave him a soft smile, he couldn't help but to think that maybe, just _maybe_ there might be something of a spark between them.

He guessed only time would tell. In the meantime, he knew he could very possibly enjoy being in this girl's company.  
Rikku was thinking the same thing about him.


	3. Chapter 3: Here Is Gone

A/N: Okay, frickin' FINALLY, I know! I'm so sorry it took me so long to get this up -- my life has been chaos . . . I have been sick, work has been nuts -- grrrr! But here is the next chappie, I hope you guys like it! Remember to R&R, pretty please! There is plenty of good old fashioned angsty-ness in this chappie, because everyone loves a little angst. Let me know what you guys think, and I promise to be more on my toes with these from NOW ON!

**Chapter Three**  
**Here Is Gone  
**  
Rikku was amazed by the man sitting across from her in the police department cafeteria. He had so many stories to tell, and there was so much pain behind his seemingly composed façade. She knew that to him, losing his partners was like her losing her family.

They had been sitting and talking in the cafeteria for so long that Rikku had lost track of the time. It wasn't until the pretty brunette lady from Auron's office approached them that Rikku realized they had been talking for nearly two-and-a-half hours.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," Lulu said tersely. "But there are still some reports to write up. The chief wants them by four."

Auron checked his watch and his good eye widened. "It's already nearly three? Damnit." He turned to his blonde companion.  
"I'm sorry, Rikku," he told her.

Rikku shrugged. "It's totally fine. I'll just go back to Yunie's and watch some TV or something. I understand that you have work to do." She eyed Lulu surreptitiously. Lulu didn't seem to like her very much – she didn't know what she had done wrong.

"Here. I'll walk you out," Auron offered.

Lulu held up a perfectly manicured hand. "Allow me," she told Auron. "You need to get to work. I'll see that the girl gets a cab."

Auron looked like he wanted to protest, but Lulu's arched eyebrow silenced him. "Fine," he said. He turned to Rikku, offered the girl a slight smile. "Thank you for having lunch with me," he said.

Rikku nodded and smiled back shyly. "No problem. I'll talk to you – later?" she said questioningly.

"I'll be by tonight," Auron told her.

Lulu ushered Rikku out of the cafeteria and to her office. "I'll call you a cab," Lulu said. "Have a seat." She gestured with her hand to the few chairs in front of her desk.

Rikku was sitting in the chair, eyes darting around the room, looking at Lulu's pictures. Her attention was drawn to a picture of Lulu, with Auron, at what looked like a party. Lulu had her arms around his neck, and they were both smiling warmly. Rikku bit her lip and forced herself to look elsewhere.  
_  
Were Auron and Lulu ever together?_ She was afraid to ask Lulu, so she just kept her mouth shut.

Lulu saw the girl eyeing her picture and had to hide a smirk. "We're friends, is all," Lulu said, as if reading Rikku's thoughts.

"Huh?" Rikku asked, snapping out of her reverie.

"Auron and I. We're just friends." Lulu sighed and sat down on the edge of her desk, across from Rikku. "We had a – _thing_ – a couple of months after I started working here, but it just wasn't meant to be." She shrugged. "He's not the most committal man you'll ever meet."

"What do you mean?" Rikku asked.

"You know. Ever since Braska and Jecht, Auron's avoided the whole emotional commitment thing. Instant gratification has become more his style," Lulu explained. She noted the disappointed look on the younger girl's face. "Look, it's not personal. And I'm not trying to make you feel bad. It's just that, ninety-eight percent of the time, Auron's just looking for comfort. Nothing more." Lulu stood up and crossed the room.

"You seem like a nice girl, Rikku. I used to be just like you. Until _him_." She looked at Rikku. "I admit, I thought I was in love. He fascinated me. And he'd been through _so_ much. I thought that maybe I could be the one to make it all better. But I ended up getting used and pushed aside. Just like all the others. He's a great guy, don't get me wrong. A wonderful man. But he's completely empty inside." She smiled at Rikku – a genuine smile, the first one Rikku had seen from the woman. "I just don't want to see another nice girl get burned."

Rikku nodded. "I see," she said. She stood up. "Well, thanks for the heads up. But, I just lost my family, and he was someone I could relate to. I'm not – _after_ him or anything."

Lulu smiled knowingly. "Of course not," she said. "Come on, I'll walk you out."

Rikku looked at Lulu as they walked down the hallway of the department. She seemed so pulled together, so calm and collected. Not like a woman who had been in love and rejected. "How'd you – get over it?" she finally asked.

Lulu looked at Rikku and laughed. "I met my partner," she told the girl.

"Oh, so you're in love again?" Rikku asked.

"Well, _he_ doesn't know it yet. I'm a little wary of getting involved again."

Rikku nodded. "What's he like?"

At that moment, a tall, well-built man with flame red hair walked out of an office. "Yo, Lu, who's your friend?" he asked.

Lulu smiled. "This is Rikku. Rikku, this is Wakka Capitan. My partner."

Rikku nodded knowingly. "Nice to meet you," she said brightly, extending her hand.

Wakka shook her hand. "Oh, you're Yuna's cousin, ya?" Rikku nodded. "Yeah. Auron told us 'bout you. Sorry 'bout your family."

"Thanks," Rikku said quietly. "Um, it was nice meeting you, Mr. Capitan."

Wakka laughed jovially. "Wakka. Just Wakka, ya?"

Rikku smiled at the man's effervescence. "Okay, then. I'm sure I'll see you around." She followed Lulu to the door and smiled at her. "He's nice, Lulu," she said with a smile.

Lulu nodded and looked down, almost as if she were embarrassed. "I know," she said softly.

Just then, the taxi pulled up. "Well, thanks, Lulu. Talk to you later?"

Lulu nodded. "I'm sure," she said warmly. "Be safe, okay?"

Rikku smiled as she got into the cab. "I will. You too."

Yuna got home, as promised, around eight o'clock that night. As soon as she walked in the door, Rikku hopped up and cornered her. "What do you know about Detective LaGuard?"

Yuna laughed a little. "Well," she said. "What exactly do you want to know?"

Rikku exhaled loudly. "Oh, I don't know. I went down to the police station today, and we ended up having lunch together. It was – nice." She shrugged.

Yuna's uniquely colored eyes widened. "How nice?" she asked cautiously.

"_Nice_ nice," Rikku responded, a little confused. "We ate, we talked, and it was – _nice_."

Yuna nodded. "I see. Rikku ... Okay, don't get me wrong or anything. Auron's _great_. But he's – not really into relationships."

Rikku looked down. "So what Lulu said was right?"

"You met Lulu?" Yuna asked, eyes sparkling. "Isn't she fabulous? I'd love to be as put together as she is!" Sensing Rikku's frustration, she stopped. "Lulu would probably know better than anyone as to his relationship style," Yuna said slowly.

"So if he's nice to me, it's because he wants to fuck me?" Rikku asked bluntly.

"Not necessarily. He's nice to _me_, and I know he doesn't want anything like that." Yuna looked at her cousin sympathetically. "He could just be feeling and sharing in your pain."

Rikku nodded. "I see," she said. Then she shrugged. "Well, it's not like I _care_ or anything. I just thought he was a nice guy. It's not like I _like_ him or anything. I was just curious, is all. Since you say he spends a lot of time here and all ..."

Yuna nodded. "He does. But, really, he's terrific. I'm so glad he's here."

Rikku forced a smile. She felt pretty low right now. Here, she had thought that things were good. That Auron was someone she could spend more time with, easily. But everyone had told her that he was a cad. That she shouldn't take his extension of friendship too seriously. She didn't know Lulu very well, but she seemed trustworthy. And Rikku knew _Yuna_ would never lie to her.

The knock at the door caused Rikku to snap out of her daydream. Yuna answered the door to Auron and Tidus, who were holding bags of takeout food. Rikku watched Yuna and Tidus smile at each other shyly, and she found herself rolling her eyes. Those two were _so_ _obvious_.

Auron handed her a bag of food, and she carried it to the table without a word. Auron was puzzled by her behavior. At lunch, she had been so bubbly and chatty, and now, she wouldn't even _look_ at him.  
_  
What did Lulu tell her?_ It was true, he didn't have the best reputation with his relationships since the deaths of Jecht and Braska. But he wasn't _proud_ of any of it. And maybe he _had_ treated Lulu poorly. He felt bad about it every single day. But he couldn't change it now. And he couldn't magically make himself feel something for her.

But with _this_ girl, with Rikku, it seemed different. She had lost the two most important people in her life in one instant, much as he had. She understood things about him, and she understood them even though he never put his thoughts into words. There was something on a higher level with her, a deeper connection. It wasn't just about sex with her; it was about filling that emotional void that had been left when Braska and Jecht had died.

He had a feeling that she might be the only one who could. But if she was scared of him ... "Rikku," he said quietly when they were in the kitchen. Yuna and Tidus were still in the living room making eyes at each other.

Rikku turned to him. "Hmm?" she asked nonchalantly.

"Did Lulu say something to you this afternoon?"

Rikku shrugged. "Lulu said lots of things to me today. She's really great. Maybe someday I can be like her," she said coolly.

"But did she say something – about me?"

"Why would she?" Rikku asked, cocking her head to one side. "I mean, she told me you guys were – close – for a while, but you know, it really didn't concern me too much."

Auron felt deflated. Of course. To her, he was just an older guy who had suffered the same losses she had, someone she could talk to. But it didn't mean she had any deep-set attachments to him.

"Oh, she _did_ tell me I should watch out for you, though," Rikku said as she began setting the food out on the table.

Auron walked up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. "What happened with me and Lulu – it was a mistake," he said quietly. "But it doesn't mean ..."

Rikku turned and faced him, and gently pushed him back. "You know what? It doesn't really matter. I'm emotionally drained right now. The last thing I need is some kind of stupid _thing_ with a guy I barely know, and who I don't even think I want to get to know any better."

Auron looked hurt. "Rikku ..."

Rikku shook her head. "Just don't, okay? You know, you were really nice to me today, and I appreciate not having to spend the entire day alone. But when everyone that _you_ consider a friend is telling me the same thing, that's when the warning signals start to go off." She turned away from him again. "I thought that maybe you were – special. But I don't even want to know now. I don't need any more drama in my life right now."

Yuna and Tidus entered the kitchen then, and the four commenced eating.

Auron kept stealing glances at the younger blonde, wondering what it would take for her to believe that he was worthy of her affection. He didn't care what he had to do. Somehow, he was going to make her believe that he could be a good person.

But first, he had to make _himself_ believe it.


	4. Chapter 4: Shape Of My Heart

A/N: No I am NOT dead! I am still here, and I have FINALLY gotten around to updating! I am SOOOO profoundly sorry for taking so long -- you just don't understand how chaotic things have been around here for me lately. So, here is the much awaited next chappie -- it's full of drama, angst, fluffiness, and a few interesting twists that will be further explained in later chappies. Hopefully, you all like this and I can be forgiven for taking so long with the update. I am sorry and I will try not to ever let it take so long to update again! Rhianna XD

**Chapter Four  
****Shape Of My Heart**

Rikku spent much of the next few weeks acclimating herself to life in Bevelle. Things were done so differently in the city than they had been on Bikanel. She managed to find a job with a technology firm, and it kept her away from the apartment. Most importantly, it kept her from having to deal with Detective LaGuard.

Honestly, she didn't know _what_ she had been thinking. She tended to be that way, though, ruled by her emotions. If a guy – _any _guy, for _any _reason – was nice to her, she had a habit of developing a crush on them. She could see now that she had been behaving ridiculously. No wonder Lulu Magis had patronized her. The man _was_ nearly forty and he was just doing his _job_, after all.

Rikku had also started meeting new people. She had meant a somewhat nice guy named Gippal, and a quietly mysterious girl named Paine while at her job. It was nice, having friends who didn't know anything about her past, and who didn't ask a lot of questions.

Rikku found herself putting in long hours at work, and not getting back to Yuna's until close to nine p.m. Yuna would always be waiting up for her, no matter how tired she was from her own day at her internship.

One evening, about three weeks after Rikku had moved to Yuna's, the balance of their world began to shift. Rikku got home around nine-thirty, and, as usual, Yuna was sitting in the living room, idly flipping through channels on the TV, one of her many textbooks open on her lap.

"Rikku, good, you're home," she said when her cousin walked in.

"Did you think I wouldn't be?" Rikku asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Yuna smiled sadly. "No, it's not that – I was just – Do you not like it here?"

Rikku sat down, looking at her cousin as if Yuna had gone mad. "Why wouldn't I like it here?"

"Well, you're – you're never here. I don't know – I guess I've gotten used to having another person here, and then you got this new job, and you've just been _gone_ all the time," Yuna said.

Rikku looked at Yuna sympathetically. "Yunie, it's nothing personal," she said brightly. "I _like_ having a job, I like having my own life here. After the factory, and Dad and Brother – I felt lost for a while, you know? But now I have purpose again. I _like_ what I'm doing. I don't like sitting here all day while you're off making the world a better place. And – well, I kinda embarrassed myself with Detective LaGuard. So I guess I just don't want to deal with _that _right now either."

"It's funny you should mention Auron," Yuna said slowly. "He hasn't been around in a while."

Rikku looked at Yuna blankly. "Yeah, so?"

Yuna smiled. "I think he feels the same – embarrassed, a little."

Rikku shook her head. "He didn't do anything wrong," she said, standing up to go into the kitchen to make a cup of tea. "Do you want some tea, Yunie?"

Yuna nodded, and stood up to follow her cousin. "Look, Rikku, you can stop trying to play it off. I know you were –_ are_ attracted to Auron. And it's okay. A lot of women are. And he's – definitely attracted to a lot of women." She laughed a little dryly.

"But I don't think he expected _you_. You're not like us Bevellians," Yuna told Rikku. "You're like – your desert. You're hot and fiery and passionate about things, and we don't get a lot of that here. This city is kind of cold and self-absorbed."

Rikku nodded. "I've noticed."

"What I'm saying is, that I think he got smacked across the face when you came along – and I think you feel the same way." Yuna shrugged.

"Yeah, well, what difference does it make? So we – _smacked _each other? Big deal. It's over now. I mean, I'm sort of dating this guy from work, and I really doubt that the detective has gone three weeks without – partaking in the sex," Rikku replied, setting the kettle on the stovetop to boil the water, not meeting Yuna's eyes.

"Oh. You're still stuck on that part, huh?" Yuna asked.

Rikku exhaled noisily. "Well – yeah. I mean, besides the fact that he's, like, a _generation_ older than I am, he's also probably slept with more women than I've even ever _met_." She flopped herself down into a kitchen chair and sighed. "Yeah, he smacked me hard." She looked into Yuna's bi-colored eyes, hoping to find some answers in their kind depths. "Oh, _what_ am I supposed to do now?" the young Al Bhed despaired.

"Oh, Yevon," Lulu muttered under her breath somewhere around midnight, while she and Wakka sat around the office, waiting for important documents to be faxed in.

There were other people in the espionage department of the PD, and they were working tightly with Lulu and Wakka to make sure every key player was covered at all times.

Gippal Solare and Paine Kildare were also in the espionage department, and they had been charged with keeping an eye on Rikku Sands, cousin of Yuna Summers, and suspected next target.

They had just sent word back to Lulu and Wakka, after overhearing some higher-ups in their office discussing Rikku's work schedule and departure and arrival times. Lulu headed for the phone.

"He's _not _going to be happy about this," Lulu told Wakka as she picked up the phone, before dialing the familiar number. "In fact, he's probably going to go fucking ballistic."

Wakka's eyes widened. "Why you say that?" he asked.

"He feels like it's _his _responsibility to make sure everyone even remotely related to Braska and Jecht are safe, because he couldn't keep them safe. I think he thinks of it as his penance for still being here."

"Okay, but why is Rikku any different than Yuna in this situation?" Wakka asked, still confused.

Lulu sat the phone down and ran a hand through her long dark hair. "Because, Wakka, for some reason Auron has connected with this girl. I think he sees something in her, that maybe he feels like he is missing in himself. I know he won't admit it, but every time somebody even _says _her name, he changes." She shook her head sadly.

"I've seen the guy go through a lot of women. Myself included. But I've never seen him act like he _cares_ about one of them."

Wakka looked at Lulu closely. "Does it bother you that much, Lu?" he asked, standing up and walking toward her.

Lulu looked at her amicable partner and couldn't help but to smile. "I didn't think that it would. But he hasn't even _seen _her or _spoken _to her for three weeks, and yet he still smiles when anyone mentions her. And she's done _nothing _to provoke any of it. Silly me, I thought maybe _I_ could be the one to change him, to finally make him care again. But I guess I went about it all wrong." She laughed dryly. "I guess maybe hopping into bed on the first date is not the best way to build a long-lasting relationship with a man like that." Wakka put his arm around Lulu's shoulder, and she sank against him. Rikku's here for a reason, Wakka. Doesn't matter the circumstances that brought her here. She's part of a bigger game now. If anything happens to her, I'm afraid Auron might absolutely lose it. And then, we're out our top detective, we're out everything we've worked so hard for over the past two years." She looked up at Wakka. "Yuna used to be our kingpin – but not any more."

"So you're saying, that any_thing_ about Rikku at all is to stay completely confidential, ya?" Wakka asked.

"Precisely," Lulu said. "We have to watch what we say about her. If _any _of Seymour's goons hear us talk about her – about how Auron feels – then we're screwed. It will be game over."

She looked back at the phone. "No calls to Auron about this. We have to do this face to face from now on." She grabbed her jacket and motioned for Wakka to follow her out of the office.

Auron groaned at the sound of the knock at his door. Opening his good eye, he peered at the alarm clock. "Two-Gods-damned-thirty," he muttered. He rolled over, careful not to disturb the sleeping redhead beside him.

Just thinking about his behavior over the past few weeks sickened him. After meeting and officially frightening Rikku Sands away from him forever, instead of working to change his ways, he had only become more embroiled in them. He didn't know what the hell he was doing any more.

He quickly pulled on a pair of jeans and walked to the door. Looking out the peephole, he saw Lulu and Wakka standing outside his door. Sighing, he opened up and let them in.

Lulu walked in and took one look around the apartment. "You've got a girl here, don't you?" she asked accusingly.

"What difference does it make to you?" Auron snapped.

"A _lot_ of difference, actually," Lulu said. "Considering that _the _girl is Guado's next target." She thrust the fax from Gippal and Paine into Auron's hands.

"What the hell – how do they even know where she is?" Auron asked, suddenly feeling frantic.

Lulu read the expression on Auron's face easily. Fear. Terror. Panic. "Apparently, they're very good," she said coolly. "She needs more people on her, watching her. Gippal and Paine can't be with her every second of the day without drawing suspicion."

"Well, I'll do it," Auron said firmly.

"No, you won't." Lulu's tone was firm, even, and menacing.

"Why the _hell_ not?" Auron practically thundered.

"Because, Detective," Wakka said respectfully. "If Seymour's goons find out that you have," he lowered his voice, "_feelings_ for her, it'll only get worse."

"_Feelings_?" Auron roared. "I do _not_ have feelings for that – girl," he muttered.

"Auron, really. Your expression when I told you that she was next was as easy to read as this fax," Lulu said derisively. "So just give up the act. The best way for you to keep her safe is to _stay away_ from her. I'm calling the undercover squad on Gagazet, and I'm having Kimahri Ronso dispatched here. No one will expect him, and he won't be an imposition."

"Ya, there's an empty apartment near Yuna's, where he can move in and keep an eye on both girls, and Gippal and Paine have arranged for him to get a job at the technology firm," Wakka explained.

"Well, the Ronso _is_ said to be the best," Auron admitted begrudgingly. "But I'd still feel better if I was involved somehow."

"Kimahri will report to you," Lulu said with a shrug. "The troop on Gagazet has been expecting this call for quite some time now."

"Well, then, I guess it's done," Auron said shortly. "Thank you for keeping me informed."

Lulu looked at the man sadly. "You need to talk to her at some point. After the Ronso is settled in, I will arrange something. We can't have her hating you on top of things. I know how important it is to you that she remains safe. Up until now, we thought Yuna was the key player here. We see now that we were wrong. Yuna was simply a tool. Rikku may know more about the Guado than any of us. She may be a threat to them. That may be why she is here." Lulu took a deep breath. "But _nothing_ is going to happen to her. I swear to you."

The spies left Auron's apartment then, and he made his way to his liquor cabinet. He pulled his bottle of Jack Daniels out, and with a loud yell, threw it against the wall and watched it shatter, the amber liquid flying everywhere.

"You better keep that damn promise, Lulu," he practically growled.

Rikku liked Kimahri Ronso immediately. True, he was a different looking beast, but Rikku had seen several Ronso in her life, and they didn't frighten her. She greeted him right away when he entered the technology firm after lunch the next afternoon.

"Hi!" she said brightly. "You must be Kimahri! We heard about you this morning. I'm Rikku!" She held out her tiny hand for the great, blue-furred creature to shake.

"Nice to meet, Rikku," Kimahri said politely. He was thinking to himself how easy it had been to locate his new charge. He'd been worried he might have to ask around, and Kimahri didn't really like talking to people.

"So," Rikku said. "What made you decide to leave Gagazet?"

"Wanted to see more places," Kimahri said simply.

Rikku nodded. "I can understand that. I used to feel that way, too, when I lived on Bikanel." Her spiraled green eyes grew sad then. "Well, I'm going to get back to work. But if you need anything, just let me know, okay?"

Kimahri nodded and watched the girl go. _So this is girl that needs protection,_ he thought to himself wryly. _For own sake, and for Auron's._ Kimahri had known Auron LaGuard for several years. He'd never known Auron to really care much about anything or anyone. But Lulu Magis had made it quite clear that LaGuard cared for Rikku Sands. She was _not _to be harmed.  
Kimahri hadn't let Auron down in the past, and he wasn't going to start now. The only reason Auron had survived his mugging had been Kimahri Ronso. Auron, in turn, had come through for the Ronso on more than one occasion. But Kimahri was tired of seeing Auron looking so old, so tired, so completely devoid of emotion.

If this Rikku was the one who could light a spark in Auron, then Kimahri was going to do all he could to help her along.

Lulu stood outside of the technology firm that evening, waiting for Rikku to emerge. Lulu was wearing one of the many disguises that the espionage department had at their disposal for times such as these.

As soon as the pretty Al Bhed came out the door, Lulu grabbed her arm and led her to an old van parked in the alleyway behind the building. Rikku struggled against the stranger, fearing that whoever had killed her family had finally found her.  
Lulu pushed her into the back of the van and slammed the door. The partition between the front of the van and the back, where Rikku was, was up, and the windows in the back were all blacked out.

Whoever had grabbed her started the van and began to drive. Rikku huddled up in the corner of the pitch-black van and began to sob silently. _So this is how I'm going to die_, she thought over and over again.

Suddenly, a small flashlight was clicked on, and Rikku saw that she wasn't alone in the back of the van. "Aur – Detective!" she cried when she saw him. She was so relieved that she almost through herself into his arms at that time. "What – What's going on?" she asked, trying to collect herself.

"There are things that I need to make very clear to you," Auron began. It pained him to see the look of fear that was written all over Rikku's pretty face. "It has come to our knowledge that you may be the next target." He saw Rikku's eyes widen and instinctively reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"But we're doing _everything _we can to make sure that you are safe. I don't want you to be afraid. And I don't want you tell anyone about seeing me tonight," Auron said gently, but firmly.

"But ..."

"No _buts_, Rikku," Auron affirmed. "This is very important. These people – the ones responsible for Braska, and Jecht, and your family – they don't care about you or Yuna or Tidus. They care about _me_. I'm the last person who knows _exactly _who they are, the last one that can end this for good. But they will _use _anyone that they know I care about to get to me. Do you understand?"

"If you – if you know who they are, why don't you just end it all now?" Rikku asked, trying to remain logical.

"Because. They are spread all throughout Spira. If I find one group and take them down, another one will resurface and it will start all over again. I need to have them all surrounded, all pinpointed before the Department makes its move."

Rikku nodded. "I guess I understand – but, why am _I_ next?"

Auron shrugged. "I really don't know. Lulu seems to think that maybe the Al Bhed know more about this case than they are letting on," he tried to explain it as simply as possible. He hoped she didn't ask more questions. He wasn't sure if he was ready to answer them.

"But I don't _know_ anything about _any _of this! I know that Uncle Braska died during a sting, and I know _someone _planted a bomb in my family's factory, but that is _all_! So why – _seriously why_ – are they targeting me?"

Auron took a deep breath. More questions. "I told you, they will use people I care about to get to me."

"Are you saying you care about me?" Rikku asked after several minutes of silence. The van lurched suddenly, and sent Rikku flying into Auron's arms. She rested there for a minute before looking up at his face. "Auron?"

He inhaled sharply, at the feel of her pressed up against him, the way she was almost imperceptibly shaking with fear. "Yes, Rikku, I care about you," he hissed. "I have from the very first minute I saw you. And I don't know why, because I know almost nothing about you. But I feel the strangest ..."

"Connection?" Rikku finished breathily. "You feel it too, huh?" She shook her head, and rested her cheek against his shoulder. "I don't know why, either, but I felt it that first night. I looked into your eye – and I swore that I could see my own pain reflecting back at me."

Auron didn't know what came over him at that moment, but he leaned down and planted a kiss on top of the blonde girl's head. "They don't know how deeply I care for you, but they know enough to make you next on their list. That is why I arranged to meet you here," he said softly. "We can't be seen together. I'm afraid that I don't do a very good job of hiding my attraction – or my affection – for you. I didn't see anyone like you ever coming my way. But I had to see you, to explain it to you, because it would do no good if you were to hate me."

Rikku fought back the tears that were threatening their way to the surface. She didn't know how things had gotten so messed up in such a short period of time. She hadn't known that you could feel so deeply for a person that you had only just meant.  
She assumed that this meant that Auron was her soul mate. For them to both have the same feelings at the same time – feelings of such strong, incomprehensible emotional connections – must mean that it was destined. Her mother had often talked to her about soul mates when Rikku was just a little girl. She had always told her that someday, she would meet someone, and instantly feel as though she'd known him forever.

"What are you thinking, Rikku?" Auron asked after a long silence.

"That it's not fair. I've finally figured out what it is that I've been missing – and _I _could end up costing us both our lives," Rikku admitted.

"No one else is going to die because of this case," Auron vowed. "And when it's over, we'll figure this whole thing out."

"You mean, us?" Rikku asked timidly.

Auron chuckled softly. "Yeah, I guess that's what I mean," he said.

"It could take a while for this case to be over," Rikku mused. "Does _anyone_ know where we are?"

"Just Lulu," Auron said.

"Lulu?" Rikku asked. Then a light dawned across her face. "Oh. She's driving!" She realized now that the van had come to a complete stop.

"This is where you get out," Auron told her.

"This is goodbye for now, huh?" Rikku said, feeling so melancholy and not understanding why. Nothing had happened between her and Auron, and yet she knew that when she left him alone in the back of this van, it would be worse than any breakup she had ever endured in her life.

It was the fear in her heart that she would carry until this case was over. She would never know when she would see him next – wouldn't know if he was alive or dead. Auron had clicked off the flashlight again, and the two of them were sitting alone in the dark.

"Forgive me," Rikku breathed. "I have to do this. Just in case ..." Slowly, she reached out until she touched his face. Closing her eyes, she leaned forward until her lips met his in a soft kiss that was filled with longing, aching, heartbreak, and promise.  
Rikku pulled away first, tears slipping down her cheeks. "Be safe," she said quietly as she reached for the door.

Auron grabbed her arm and pulled her back to him for another kiss. "I will see you soon," he told her in a vehement whisper against her ear. "I'll move heaven and hell to see you again."

Taking a deep breath, Rikku opened the door of the van and quickly shut it as soon as she was out. She realized that Lulu had dropped her off in the alleyway behind Yuna's apartment building. As she walked into the building, her heart and head were pounding with a million different sensations.

She felt elated and uplifted after her time with Auron, but she also felt a strong darkness falling over all of them. She felt that death was very near, and that not everyone was going to be there in the end.

And now, all anyone could do was wait.


	5. Chapter 5: Violence

A/N: Yay, I've finally updated! My computer has been down for the past week or so. Sorry it took so long. Anyway, in this chappie, we are getting into the action. There's some angst and drama, but for the most part, this is an ACTION chappie! There are going to be a lot of twists and turns in the next few chapters, so I hope you enjoy the ride! Thanks for being so patient! Rhianna XD

**Chapter Five  
****Violence**

**_Part 1  
_**In the days and weeks that followed, Rikku grew more and more withdrawn and quiet. She watched with hollow eyes as Yuna and Tidus' relationship continued to blossom. On several evenings, she would return home from work to find the two of them cuddling on the couch.

Rikku would make small talk for a few minutes, but she always found a reason to excuse herself and shut herself in her room for the night. She kept thinking about the last time she had seen Auron. The fact that he had admitted to having genuine feelings for her still weighed heavily on her mind.

It all seemed so unfair, so wrong. Two people who cared for each other should be able to be together, not be avoiding each other at all costs. So many times, she thought about picking up the phone and calling him, but a little voice in her head always made her pull her hand away.

Gippal, the guy from work she had thought about dating, kept trying to get her to agree to out with him, but her heart simply was not in it any more. She didn't want to be unfair to him, because he _was_ nice. She was unaware that Gippal also worked for the Police Department and was just trying to keep a closer eye on her, since everyone had been informed that she was a "high alert" charge.

Rikku arrived home early on a Friday evening, three weeks after her last meeting with Auron to find Yuna alone.

"Hi, Rikku," Yuna greeted her cousin. "You're home early today."

Rikku shrugged. "Not much going on in the world of technology today," she said nonchalantly. "Where's Tidus?"

Yuna sighed. "He had to go back to Zanarkand for a few days. The P.D. up there found a lead on some of the drugs or something, so he and Auron went to check it out."

Rikku's head snapped up at the mention of Auron's name. "I hope everything's okay," she said quietly. "So, uh, have you seen Auron lately?"

Yuna nodded. "He and Tidus came by this afternoon before they left for Zanarkand." She looked at Rikku's slightly dejected expression. "He said to tell you 'hello' and that he hopes everything is well with you," Yuna offered.

Rikku nodded. "Oh. Okay," was all she could think to say. "I'm going to go put my purse and stuff away real quick." Yuna just nodded.

Rikku opened the door to her room and gasped. Lying across her pillow was a cactus flower – something she hadn't seen since leaving Bikanel. Tears sprang to her eyes, and then she noticed the white envelope lying next to the blossom.

Picking it up, she noticed that it was sort of lumpy. Across the front of the envelope, written in a stern, masculine hand, was a short note:

_Rikku,  
__When I saw this, it reminded me of your eyes. I am always thinking of you.  
__-- A_

Blinking back tears, Rikku opened the envelope and pulled out a delicate silver bracelet that was studded with tiny, sparkling emeralds.

She sat down on her bed and allowed herself to _really _cry for the first time since she'd last seen him.

When she had calmed down somewhat, she fastened the bracelet on her wrist and fingered the emeralds lightly. "Oh, Auron," she breathed.

**_Part 2  
_**"He still eludes me!" Seymour Guado ranted from his hideout in the Omega Ruins. "I _ask_ you blithering idiots to find something _useful_ on LaGuard, and you come up with _nothing_! Every man has a weakness! All I want you to do is _find his_!"

He looked up at Tromell, his most loyal lackey. "Do you think you can handle that, Tromell?" he asked icily.

"It will be no trouble, Sir," Tromell said in his nasal tone.

"I can't go to him. He has too many people working too closely with him. I must find a way to bring him to me. Because down here, he doesn't stand a chance," Seymour said cruelly. "Tromell! Stop standing around! Go!" he ordered with a wave of his long, veiny hand.

"Yessir," Tromell said. "But, what _exactly _am I looking for?"

Seymour rolled his eyes at the incompetence of his help. "Bait," he said. "We have a very large fish to catch."

**_Part 3  
_**Auron sighed to himself as he listened to Tidus ramble on and on about Yuna. Tidus had been talking non-stop about her many wonderful attributes since they had left Bevelle. Even though Auron was driving, he felt like jumping out of the car.

_It must be nice_, he mused, _to be able to talk so openly about one's feelings for another_. He turned his attention to Tidus. "You truly are Jecht's son," he said wryly.

Tidus paused in mid-sentence. "Hey! What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"It means that neither of you know when to shut up. Look, I will give you fifty of my _own _gil, if you stop talking about Yuna _right now_."

"Ah," Tidus said knowingly. "You're hung up on that girl, huh?"

"What girl?" Auron asked, bristling.

"The girl you bought the bracelet for. Obviously, she's special to you, or you wouldn't have dropped all that gil on her," Tidus said matter-of-factly.

Auron grumbled under his breath.

"So?" Tidus asked. "Who is she? One of your many conquests, I presume? I mean, you had to know eventually _one_ of them would get to you."

Auron gave Tidus a stony glare. "Actually, she was _not_ one of my 'conquests' as you so colorfully put it. Not that it's any of _your_ business."

"So, it's someone you're trying to _make_ a conquest?" Tidus asked, grinning mischievously.

"No!" Auron shouted. _Maybe it was better when he was talking about Yuna_, he thought darkly. "Not this girl," he said to Tidus. "She's – different. Special."

"Ah-ha!" Tidus exclaimed. "The legendary Detective LaGuard has finally met his match!"

Auron just shook his head and turned his full attention back to the road. "You really know nothing, boy," he muttered.

**_Part 4  
_**"That's _gorgeous_!" Yuna cried when she saw Rikku's bracelet. She held Rikku's hand and turned it over and over, watching the emeralds shimmer in the light. "Where did you get it?"

Rikku hadn't planned on Yuna seeing the bracelet, but when she had gone to the kitchen to make some tea, Yuna's all-seeing gaze had caught sight of it.

Rikku just shrugged. "I saw it in the store window, and I – thought it was pretty," she said breezily.

"Well, it _is_!" Yuna squealed. "It's like – your eyes!"

Rikku smiled sadly. _That's what he thought, too_ ...

Sighing, she went to the front closet to grab her brown leather jacket. "Yunie, I'm going for a walk," she told her cousin.

"Do you want some company?" Yuna asked, looking at Rikku with concern in her eyes.

"No. I really – just want to be alone right now," Rikku replied. "Nothing personal." Impulsively, for a reason Rikku didn't understand, she gave Yuna a hug. She couldn't explain it, but she had the strangest feeling that something was about to happen – something big.

When Yuna hugged Rikku back, she felt it too. "Rikku, maybe you should stay," she said cautiously. Her heart had begun to pound wildly, and all her instincts were telling her to _make Rikku stay_!

"Yunie," Rikku said. "Don't worry so much! You'll get wrinkles. I'll be back in an hour, I promise!"

Yuna watched Rikku walk out the door and felt a dark cloud descend over their world.

Rikku wasn't back in an hour.

She wasn't back by the time the sun came up the next morning. Yuna picked up the phone and dialed Auron's cell phone.

He answered almost immediately when he recognized the number that appeared on his cell phone. "Rikku?" he asked, nearly breathlessly.

There was a pause. Then a hysterical voice spoke. "Auron? It's Yuna."

"Yuna? What's wrong?"

Tidus snapped to attention at the mention of Yuna's name.

"Oh, Gods, Auron, she's _gone_!" Yuna cried.

Auron felt his heart leap into his throat. "Who's gone?" he asked in a very calm, even voice.

"Rikku! Rikku's _gone_, Auron!"

Auron snapped his phone shut. "Shit." With that, calm and sensible Auron LaGuard whipped a sharp U-turn in his car, ignoring the honks and dirty looks from other drivers on the highway. He headed back toward Bevelle at breakneck speeds.

"Uh, Auron?" Tidus asked. "What about Zanarkand?"

"Fuck Zanarkand," Auron spat. "Rikku's gone."

"Rikku?" Tidus asked. Then, noting the expression on Auron's face and the crazed way the older detective was behaving, Tidus finally began to understand. "She'll be okay," he said, more to himself than to Auron.

"She Gods-damned better be," Auron retorted. "I swear to Yevon, if _he's _behind this – if he _touches _her ..." He didn't finish his thoughts, though he had many. He picked up his cell phone again and dialed quickly.

"Lulu Magis," Lulu answered on the fourth ring.

"Lulu, Auron here. Rikku's gone."

Lulu's eyes widened on her end of the line. "Shit," she cursed. "We'll get right on it."

"Good." Auron flipped his phone shut again.

Tidus looked back at Auron. "They wouldn't hurt her. They'd keep her alive – right? Because kidnapping victims are more valuable alive?" He sounded uncertain, young, and scared.

Auron glared at the rookie. "Don't you understand? There are things that are _far_ worse than death. _Especially_ if a maniac like Seymour Guado is behind it."

"Do you think that he is?" Tidus asked. Auron didn't answer. "So we go get her!" Tidus cried, pumping his fist into the ceiling of the car.

"No," Auron said coolly. "_If_ this _is_ a kidnapping, and _if_ Seymour _is_ behind it – and we don't know for sure either way, yet – we have to wait for contact to be made. A ransom note, a phone call, _something_. If we go barreling in there, and he's _not _behind it – Well, he _will _find her, and he _will _kill her. If only to spite me."

**_Part 5  
_**Rikku didn't know where she was, or how she had gotten there. She had been walking down the street, minding her own business, when _someone_ had come up from behind and placed a drug-soaked rag over her nose and mouth. She had passed out, and when she had woken up, she was blindfolded and gagged, and tied to an extremely uncomfortable wooden chair.

The smells that reached her nostrils were that of a stockyard. She could smell some sort of livestock not far off, and she knew without a doubt that she was no longer within the city limits of Bevelle.

The smell of hay was very strong, and when she moved her feet she could feel plank wood under her shoes. There seemed to be an open door, or a draft coming from somewhere behind her, because she could feel a cool breeze. She noticed that she no longer had her jacket. _Am I in a barn, maybe?_ she wondered.

She heard footsteps and began to struggle against her restraints. "Easy there," said a surprisingly gentle male voice. "I don't want to have to hurt you."

Rikku said something vicious to her captor, but he couldn't understand what she said because of the gag.

"I'll remove the gag now, because there's no one around for miles and miles," the voice continued. He removed the cloth from her mouth. "Is that better?" he asked, touching the top of Rikku's head softly.

Rikku jerked at his touch. "Don't _touch _me," she hissed. "What do you _think _you're doing?"

"Well, obviously, I've kidnapped you. You're going to be _very _useful to me, Rikku."

"How do you know my name?" Rikku demanded.

"Your ID was in your jacket," the man explained.

"Are you going to kill me?" Rikku whimpered.

"Well, I _hope _it doesn't come to that. No, Rikku, once I get what I want, I'll arrange for you to be picked up and delivered safely back home. But not a minute sooner than that."

Rikku swallowed hard. This man, he didn't seem menacing at all, and yet, he had _kidnapped _her and was planning on holding her for an indefinite amount of time. _A psychopath. That's what he is. Great. Oh, Gods! Auron, help me!_


	6. Chapter 6: When You Come Back To Me Agai...

A/N: Okay, I rewrote part of this and reloaded it -- hopefully it's not as "expository" as it was before. I apologize about that. I banged out this chapter pretty quickly last time. So I changed some of it -- hopefully you all like it better now. shrugs Anyway, I hope to be getting the next chapter out here shortly, but that's only IF my computer behaves itself long enough. It's f'ed up right now. Dumb thing. Okay, well, until next chappie! Rhianna

**Chapter Six  
****When You Come Back To Me Again  
**

**_Part One  
_**The days that followed were harrowing for everyone in Bevelle. Everyone waited by their respective phones, hoping to hear word from Rikku – or from someone who had seen her.

Yuna grew more and more subdued, feeling like it was entirely her fault. "I shouldn't have let her go," she told Auron and Tidus over and over again once they had arrived back at her apartment. "I knew something was wrong – I could feel it in my heart. I shouldn't have let her go."

Tidus didn't know what to do or say for her, so he just held her in his arms, trying his best to be comforting, though he didn't know the first thing about it. "Don't worry, Yuna," he said, trying to stay positive. "We'll find her. She's fine. She's Rikku! She can take care of herself."

Yuna just sniffled and looked up at him, the misery in her eyes tearing at his heart.

Auron couldn't sit still. He paced around Yuna's apartment constantly, didn't even stop long enough to sleep. He knew that he wouldn't rest until Rikku was back, safe and sound, and he had seen her with his _own_ eyes, and held her in his _own_ arms.

Days passed. There was no word from Rikku, no ransom note, no phone calls. "It doesn't make sense," Lulu said to Wakka on Day Six. They were all at Yuna's apartment, sitting around her kitchen, just waiting.

"What doesn't make sense, Lu?" Wakka asked.

"If Seymour _had_ kidnapped Rikku, he would have let us know by now. He never was one for flying under the radar. He likes to make himself _known_," Lulu explained.

"So you think someone else is behind this?" Wakka asked. "Someone unrelated to Seymour?"

"I don't know about the 'unrelated' part," Auron interjected, "but I think Lulu has a good point."

"But why would anyone take Rikku? What could they possibly want with her?" Yuna asked, looking around the room nervously.

"Maybe it's not personal at all," Tidus conceded. "Maybe she just happened to be easily accessible at the time." He shrugged.

Auron looked thoughtful. "That's true. We just need to find out who would be desperate enough to resort to kidnapping."

"Maybe someone had a debt or something?" Wakka wondered aloud.

"Gods, that could be _anybody_," Lulu groaned. "I mean, _I _have debts ..." She trailed off when she noticed everyone staring at her. "Well _I _didn't take her!" she cried in exasperation. "I'm just _saying_ ... it could take a lot of detective work to figure something like this out. And besides – if someone truly _is _desperate for money, and _that's_ why he or she took Rikku, they'll be sending some sort of ransom note soon. Typically, people who kidnap for the money aren't out to harm the person they've taken."

Auron nodded. "She's right," he said to the others. "We can't do anything for sure anyway, until we know it _is _an actual kidnapping, and that she didn't just run off."

Yuna's eyes flooded with tears at the thought. "She wouldn't do that. Rikku wouldn't do that. Someone has her," she whispered with every ounce of conviction that she could muster. She looked up, straight at Auron. "Someone has her, Auron," she said in a firm, steady voice.

Auron nodded. "I know."

**_Part Two  
_**Seymour decided it was time to pay a visit to an "old friend." The poor fool had come to him nearly a year ago, hoping that Spira's most "benevolent benefactor" could help him finance a project.

Seymour sneered at the thought. He _had _always been known as the "benevolent benefactor" since he was so good about donating money to charities and other good causes. It was a nice tax right off, plus, it made him look _wonderful_.

The man – if you could call him a man – who had come to Seymour in need of a loan had been a sniveling, whiny excuse for a human. He was ex-military, Seymour had learned, discharged because of asthma. And the only thing he wanted in the _world_ was to open a chocobo ranch.

Seymour thought the idea was ridiculous. _But_ he knew that the ranch would never take off, and that the man would end up being in his debt. People who were in debt to you could prove to be very valuable.

"Tromell!" Seymour summoned his crony one morning. "Tromell, we're going to pay a visit to Clasko today."

"Clasko, Sir?" Tromell asked, obviously not remembering the name.

"Yes, Tromell. You remember Clasko? He borrowed money from me last year for a chocobo ranch. The time has come for him to repay me," Seymour explained.

"Ah, very good, Sir," Tromell said. "But – what if he doesn't have the money?"

Seymour smiled evilly. "Oh, Tromell. You know what we do to people who can't pay us back." He and Tromell shared a good laugh as they thought about the fun their day was going to bring.

But even Seymour couldn't have planned on what – or _who_ – he was to find when they paid Clasko a visit that day.

**_Part Three  
_**Clasko sat in the barn where he could keep an eye on his hostage while he wrote her ransom note. He knew that Seymour Guado would be coming to collect the money that he was owed any day now, and he was just hoping that he could get enough from Rikku's ransom to pay him before that time came.

Rikku was still tied to the same chair, still blindfolded. Her bones and muscles were screaming with pain. It had been nearly a week and a half since she had been brought here – wherever _here_ was. She didn't fear her captor any more; she knew he wasn't going to kill her.

But she might die anyway, from extreme fatigue and hunger. The only thing she had been allowed to eat or drink was water – which tasted like it came from a trough – and stale bread.

Plus, she knew now that the livestock was birds. Horrible, noisy birds that set her already fraying nerves on edge with every _squawk_ they uttered. She asked her captor what kind of birds he raised one day, just because the silence was deafening and about to drive her mad.

"They're chocobos!" he had said with a reverence that Rikku found a little creepy.

"You mean, those big yellow birds?" she had asked, a little uncertain now. She couldn't see anything, and she knew she'd have a heart attack if one of those creatures were to sneak up behind her.

"The most beautiful creatures in the world," he had sighed.

"Oh – kay," Rikku had said slowly, and then dropped the subject. _Yeah, he's crazy all right_, she thought to herself. _Bird crazy_.

Rikku wondered if anyone in Bevelle was looking for her. _I know Yunie will be – but what about the others? Would Auron want to find me?_ With every day that passed, Rikku felt her spirits sinking lower and lower.

By the time Day Ten rolled around, Rikku was on the verge of bursting into tears when Clasko came rushing into the barn. "Oh no!" he cried.

"What?" Rikku asked, feeling panic rising in her throat. "What's going on?"

"Oh, he's come for his debt! But I don't have it yet! That's what _you _were for!"

"You kidnapped me because you're in _debt_?" Rikku asked incredulously. "Why didn't you just _mug _me?"

Clasko paused and contemplated this for a minute. "Oh, what does it matter now? I don't have the money – this is a _disaster_!"

"Who is it that you owe?" Rikku asked.

As if on cue, she heard the barn doors bang open behind her. She jumped instinctively. "Well, well, well, Clasko." Rikku cringed. The voice was gentle and smooth, but she could detect the pure evil lurking behind it. "What is this?"

"Uh, well, you see, Mr. Guado, uh, I knew you'd be coming for your debt, but I didn't have the money, so I was going to, uh, use this girl for ransom," Clasko stammered.

"Silence," Seymour said. He put his hands to his temples. Clasko _really _gave him a headache. "So you're saying that you don't have the money?"

Clasko hung his head. "No, Sir," he said in a nearly inaudible voice.

"Just this _girl_," Seymour said, gesturing to Rikku. "And she's certainly no good to me ..." He turned to Clasko and smiled cruelly. "Well, Clasko, you know that this means we must work out your debt in some other manner. First, the birds must be executed ..."

"_NO_!" Clasko cried out. "Not the chocobos! They haven't _done _anything!"

"Sir!" Tromell's voice echoed across the barn.

Seymour exhaled loudly. "What _now_, Tromell? Can't you see I'm busy?"

"Sir, I believe you'll find this most interesting. It is from the girl's jacket," Tromell said.

Rikku's heart sped up. _The note! Cred! Vilg! No one was supposed to know about Auron and I! _Especially _not Seymour Guado!_

Seymour rolled his eyes and walked over to Tromell. He snapped the paper from his lackey's hands. As he read it, a smirk began to play across his features. "Bingo," he whispered. "Tromell, you're a genius!"

He crossed to where Rikku sat and knelt before her. Gently, he removed her blindfold. Rikku blinked rapidly when the light hit her eyes for the first time in over a week. When her eyes focused, the creepiest-looking creature she had ever seen was sitting at eye-level with her.

Seymour Guado was veiny and had wild blue hair that stuck out in all directions. His eyes were an icy gray-blue, and they seemed to have hypnotic powers. "Are you Rikku?" he asked in a soft and gentle voice.

Rikku could only nod, somehow he had taken control of her mind.

"Very good. And this letter, this is from someone important to you, is it not?"

Again, she nodded.

"Auron LaGuard?" Seymour asked in that same monotone, trance-like tone.

"Auron?" Rikku whispered dreamily.

Seymour looked at Tromell and smiled. "She's the one," he said. He turned to Clasko, who was still cowering. "Dear Clasko," Seymour said in a pseudo-friendly voice. "What say you we make a little deal?"

"A – A deal?" Clasko stuttered.

"Indeed. I will absolve your debt completely, if you will allow me to take this girl off your hands. Of course, in order for this deal to be fair, you mustn't tell _anyone _that you've seen her at all," Seymour suggested.

Clasko looked at Rikku, whom he had actually grown fond of, and back at Seymour. He knew what Seymour was capable of, and he couldn't bear the thought of his precious chocobos being harmed. He nodded, and held out his hand for Seymour to shake.

"I knew you'd see it my way, dear Clasko," Seymour said coolly. "Tromell, get the girl."

Clasko seemed so happy with his victory. Only when he saw the terror in Rikku's eyes did he begin to feel the smallest twinges of regret. _She'll be okay,_ he told himself. _Surely someone will be looking for her_.

As Seymour followed Tromell out to their waiting limousine, he quickly dumped the packet of cyanide that he carried in his pocket into the chocobos' water supply. He never really was one for keeping his word.

The two Guado put Rikku in the backseat of the limousine and shut the door while they stood outside the car to discuss a few matters. "Tromell, do you still have that serum that we were saving for Yuna Summers?" Seymour asked in a low voice.

"You mean, the Confuse Serum?" Tromell asked.

"Yes, that one," Seymour replied, thinking of one of his newest laboratory creations. It was a serum that caused anyone who came in contact with it to forget details of their past. _All _details.

"Well, of course. _You _are the one who doesn't want it to ever be out of your sight," Tromell told his boss. "Which is why it's in the car." Tromell spoke as if he thought Seymour was an idiot. Seymour was _fanatical_ about this serum.

It was true. Something as powerful as this Confuse Serum – when in the _wrong _hands – could be devastating to everything he had worked for.

"Perfect," Seymour said cruelly. "We're going to use it on Rikku, instead."

Tromell looked confused. "Rikku? But, sir ..."

"_Rikku_ is LaGuard's weakness. _He_ wrote that note to her," Seymour explained.

"You mean, 'A' is Auron LaGuard?" Tromell asked.

"Precisely. I have a plan for her – and for him." Seymour unfolded the details of his dastardly scheme to Tromell, who clapped his hands with glee when Seymour was finished.

"Prepare for a celebration, Tromell. And get Alorra on the phone. Tell her that we have need of a wedding gown," Seymour said. With that, he and Tromell got into the car and found, much to their delight, that Rikku was sleeping.

Tromell quickly administered the Confuse Serum to the slumbering girl. "She'll sleep for several hours while this goes through her system. When she wakes, she won't remember anything of her past."

Seymour smiled at the blonde girl sleeping in the seat across from him. Soon, he would have Auron LaGuard _exactly _where he wanted him.


	7. Chapter 7: I Will Remember You

A/N: Well, here it is, folks, and about damn time too! The next chappie! Yay! Hope you like this one. Lots of craziness going on . . . and lots more to come! So enjoy! Till next time Rhianna

**Chapter Seven  
****I Will Remember You  
**

**_Part One  
_**When she woke up, she had the strangest feeling. Her mind was muddled, she wasn't really even sure who _she _was. And yet, she knew that something just felt _wrong_. She was in an obstinately decorated room, lying in a huge bed amid dozens of soft feather pillows, covered with a thick down comforter.

_Such luxury,_ she thought. _It seems – odd._ Why did she have this image in her head of a small and cozy room, decorated not with fancy pieces of artwork, but with friendly, smiling photographs? And instead of pillows, dozens and dozens of stuffed animals – where was this image _coming _from?

She shook her head and rubbed her temples, hoping desperately to clear some of the cobwebs from her mind. It was then that a tall, strangely familiar man entered.

_Blue hair? Veiny? Why does he seem so familiar – but unfamiliar? Like – I've seen him in photographs maybe?_

"Thank Yevon that you have returned to us, love." The man spoke in a very gentle voice, but the voice seemed to mask something, seemed to have a darker undercurrent.

_Love?_ The thought flew through her mind. _This man is my love? It seems – wrong. So wrong. And yet – I don't know!_ "I'm sorry," she said meekly. "I – I don't remember you. I – don't remember anything, really."

Seymour smiled sympathetically at the girl. "Oh, my poor darling," he said, crossing the room and sitting beside her on the bed. "You have been in a coma for nearly a month. We were fearful that you would not return to us at all. But here you are – with just a bit of amnesia. That's all." He put his arm around her, and she instinctively wanted to pull away. But she didn't know_ why_.

"Rikku," he said, and her head jerked up to look at him.

_Rikku! That's my name!_ Relief flooded through her body to have regained this tiny -- but crucial -- piece of her identity. "Yes?" she asked timidly.

"You do not remember me?" Seymour asked, thoroughly enjoying every minute of this game.

"No. I'm – sorry," Rikku apologized.

"No need to apologize," Seymour said breezily, waving his hand in dismissal. "I am your fiancé, Seymour Guado."

The name _was_ familiar. Rikku finally smiled. She _did_ have a very vague remembrance of being in love – and _this _must be why! "What – what happened to me, Seymour?" she asked cautiously.

Seymour had been waiting for this. He had rehearsed what he would say over and over again until he was sure that the delivery of the words was absolutely perfect. This was the coup. _This_ was where he hammered the final nail in to LaGuard's coffin.

His eyes clouded over. "A damn crooked cop from Bevelle kidnapped you. A man named LaGuard. He's an evil, sadistic bastard who has always been jealous of everything I have. He wanted to use you to get to me, because you are my most prized possession." For good measure, Seymour took Rikku's hands into his own. "You tried to escape, and one of his goons clubbed you over the head, knocked you unconscious. Luckily, we found you when they took you to the hospital. We were so relieved when you were returned to us."

"Us?" Rikku asked.

"The whole household," Seymour said, gesturing grandly. "Everyone here _adores_ my future bride. Now that you're awake, the wedding can be held on Saturday, as planned."

Rikku smiled, unable to help herself. The fact that she was back where she belonged, and that there was to be a wedding soon – _her_ wedding – made her feel happy. And Seymour seemed genuinely kind, and as though he really cared for her. She just wished, for _his_ sake, that she could remember more.

And if only she could quell the uneasy feeling in her stomach, everything would be _perfect_.

**_Part Two  
_**The chocobos were all dead. Every last one of them. Clasko had never felt rage before, but he was pretty sure that he was feeling it now. "That lousy son of a shoopuf!" Clasko muttered as he tried to fight the tears back.

And Rikku! Clasko had willingly handed over a perfectly decent and good person to that monster – all to save his birds. And Seymour had killed them any way. Clasko could only imagine what he planned to do with Rikku.

"I could go to Bevelle," Clasko decided. "I could tell the police – sure, they'd be mad I kidnapped her at first, but I think I'd get immunity for confessing and helping them." Clasko had an affinity for talking to himself when he was flustered.

It used to be, he had talked to his chocobos. But Seymour had seen to the end of that. With resolve, Clasko set his chin high and prepared to make a trip into the city.

As he was walking out of the barn, he saw something shiny on the ground. He went to examine it, and saw that it was Rikku's bracelet – the pretty emerald one she had been wearing when he had kidnapped her. He stuck it in his pocket. "Now they'll believe me for sure. It's proof that I _have_ seen her!"

**_Part Three  
_**_It's fucking horrible,_ Lulu thought to herself on Day Fifteen. There had been no ransom note, no telephone call, nothing. And Rikku had been gone for over two weeks. Yuna was practically catatonic, and Auron had apparently decided that drinking himself into a stupor was the best way to handle the situation. Lulu had seen this pattern in him before -- right after Jecht and Braska had died. She hadn't been able to stop it then, but hopefully she could do something about it now.

Every night, he went home and drank until he passed out. And then, to get rid of the hangover in the morning, he'd drink his breakfast. And he figured carrying a flask around all day couldn't hurt either. Anything to keep him from having to think lucidly about the horror of the present situation.

Rikku could be dead – probably _was_ dead by this time. And nobody had any ideas, nobody had any leads. And even if it _was_ Seymour – he'd be long gone by now. He'd eluded the authorities for so long, it was just another hobby to him.

Auron was at home on the evening of Friday, Day Seventeen when there was a knock at the door. Standing up, he ignored the fact that the room seemed to be in a perpetual state of motion, and staggered to the door.

Lulu stood on the other side, arms crossed in front of her in an impatient manner. Auron opened the door.

"Lulu, great," he slurred. "You're just in time for a drink."

Lulu glared at him and pushed past him into the apartment. She ignored the reeking stench of alcohol that invaded her nostrils as soon as she entered. She marched straight over to the bottle of Jack Daniels on the table and proceeded to pour it down the drain. Then she opened every cabinet in the kitchen until she discovered all the other bottles of liquor, and she dumped them all too.

When she was finished she looked Auron squarely in the eye. "Are there any others?" she said coolly.

"What the fuck, Lulu?" Auron spat. "Why'd you do that, you stupid bitch?"

Lulu let the remarks slide off her back. She knew he was shit-faced – _had _been shit-faced for the past week. "Because you're completely fucking worthless to us right now, _LaGuard_. You're our top detective, but you haven't been able to detect _anything _here lately, you've been so damned trashed."

"Mind your own fucking business!" Auron roared.

"This _is_ my fucking business," Lulu shot back hotly. "Because this is _my _case too, and Rikku is _my _friend also! You're not the only one who's worried about her! You're not the only one who's scared. Yuna's terrified, but have you been there for her? No, you've been too busy getting plowed! I came here to knock some fucking sense into your head, Auron! Rikku needs you to be strong now, and _sober_."

"She's probably fucking _dead _by now, Lulu, for fuck's sake!" Auron snapped.

Without thinking, Lulu reached back and slapped Auron –_ hard_ – across the face. And then she did it again. And again. And again. He staggered back, apparently shocked, but his eyes seemed a little less glassy, and he seemed a little more _together_.

"We don't know that she's dead yet, Auron," Lulu hissed, fighting back the tears that were forming in her eyes. She'd be damned if she was going to let him see her cry _now_. "And you are damn lucky that _I_ am the only one you've said that to. Because if you had said that around Yuna, I probably would've fucking killed you."

Auron stood back and regarded Lulu solemnly. He knew what she was saying was the truth, and he knew he'd been acting selfish. He'd just never expected anyone to actually call him on it.

Lulu stared him down, not backing down, not even blinking. Then, wordlessly, she went to the kitchen and put on a pot of coffee.

An hour later, they were sitting at the kitchen table, going over every possible scenario in their head. "We know Seymour used to hang out at the Omega Ruins, but last time Wakka and I went there, the place was empty, so he's obviously moved on by now."

"We're still not entirely convinced that Seymour's even behind this," Auron pointed out. The coffee – and the slapping – had done wonders in sobering him up, but now he felt like he was going to be sick.

"You're right, but until I know differently, he's my number one suspect," Lulu said. "But I don't know why – if it _is_ Seymour – he'd go for Rikku. I mean, he doesn't know a whole lot about her."

Auron shrugged. "Why does Seymour do a lot of the things he does? We don't know. He's purely psychotic, that's all that we do know."

They talked awhile longer, and then Lulu's cell phone rang. Frowning, she looked at the number that had popped up and smiled a bit to herself. "Wakka?" she said into the mouthpiece.

Auron only heard her side of the conversation, and it didn't consist of much.

"Okay, Wakka, we'll be right there," Lulu said finally. She ended the call and turned to Auron. "Wakka's working the late shift tonight, and he said some guy just came in. This guy says he's seen Rikku."

Auron jumped up and grabbed his jacket and followed Lulu out the door. They were both hoping against hope that this wasn't a false lead, and that they would find Rikku soon – safe and sound.

What none of them knew was, at that precise moment, Rikku was in the midst of a flurry of last-minute details, preparing for her wedding at one p.m. the next afternoon.

And _everyone_ was powerless to stop it.


	8. Chapter 8: Come Home Soon

**A/N:** I'm ba-aaack! I am SO SORRY guys! My computer went completely nuts on me, and we had to get a new hard drive. It was complete and utter suckage. lol Anyway, here's a nice loooong chappie to hopefully kind of make up for my being gone so long! I've got a bunch more written on this and I'll get it posted as soon as I can get it typed! Oh, just so you all know, the big block of italics in the middle of this chappie is a flashback -- I think it's pretty easy to tell, but I didn't want to have anyone confused. XD Also, this story is in a very very dark place right now. You guys just need to have a little faith in me, that it will all work out the way it is supposed to. But this story was never meant to be 100 percent happy and sunshine-y. There's a lot of angst and anger and bad shit going on with it. But I hope you guys enjoy it so far! Rhianna XD

**Chapter Eight  
****Come Home Soon**

**Part One  
**The wedding was small, and it was held in Seymour's cloistered home. Only members of his household were in attendance, and the ceremony was quick. Seymour almost cackled aloud at the simplicity of it all.

How easy it had all been. A few simple words, the slide of a gold band onto a dainty Al Bhed finger, and it was done. Seymour was certain that he had done the impossible, the very thing he had been trying to do for two years now.

Auron LaGuard was going to make a mistake now – he just knew it. As soon as Tromell sent the announcement and wedding photograph into the Bevelle Daily Sun, every single person connected to his lovely little bride would falter.

"They'll be sitting ducks," Seymour told Tromell later that evening, after the "festivities" were done with.

Rikku had retired early, claiming that she was tired. In all honesty, she didn't know what was wrong with her. But when his cold hand had touched hers during the ceremony, she had had a sudden flash in her mind. Of dark hair and bronze skin and a smug, but sweet, smile – of warm, strong hands that had reached out to her before. But she didn't know _why_ or _how _this image had come to her.

She fell asleep quickly that night, and hoped that Seymour wouldn't expect anything from her. Surely, after the ordeal she had been through – amnesia and all – he wouldn't.

The face haunted her dreams. _Who are you?_ _Where are you?_

But of course she received no answer from the strangely familiar vision. Just a sad, longing smile, and an outstretched hand.

_Rikku – come home_.

**Part Two**  
"Oh, my Gods," Yuna gasped, dropping her Styrofoam cup of coffee to the ground as she stopped at the nurses' station to receive her charts for the day. Several weeks had passed since Rikku's disappearance, and at Tidus and Auron's urging, she had finally returned to work. 

"We have to get back to some semblance of normalcy," Auron had told her firmly, but not unkindly, a few nights prior, after they had spoken to Clasko.

_The obviously shaken man had gone to the Bevelle Police Department, claiming to have seen Rikku – and to know where she was._

_Lulu, Wakka, and Auron had listened the man, extremely interested in what he had to say. First, he had handed the emerald bracelet to Auron. "She was wearing this," Clasko told the detective._

_Auron's face had gone pale, and he had taken the bracelet from Clasko. "What else?"_

_Clasko took a deep breath. "You see, I have always wanted to raise chocobos. But, I – I didn't have any money. About a year ago, I met this man who said that he could loan me enough for my ranch. It seemed like a – a great opportunity, and he seemed trustworthy."_

_Lulu narrowed her red-brown eyes at the diminutive, stammering man. "But he wasn't?" she prodded._

_Clasko looked down, face red. "Not at all. It turns out, he was quite the manipulator. I knew he was going to come for his money soon, and I didn't have it. My chocobo ranch hadn't been doing so well. Seems not everybody sees the birds for what beautiful creatures they are, like me."_

"_Ahem," Lulu said, drumming her nails on the desk impatiently. "The point, please?"_

_Clasko reddened again. "Yes, ma'am. Anyway – I didn't have the money. I – I was desperate, because I know what this man is capable of. So I came into Bevelle. My plan was to kidnap the mayor's daughter. I thought I could get enough ransom for her to pay him back. But when I got to Bevelle – I felt – so guilty, that I panicked. And I nabbed the first girl I came across."_

_Auron had felt rage bubbling up inside him since the moment this little man had started speaking, and now, he was at the breaking point. He thundered to his feet. "You took Rikku!" he exploded._

_Clasko looked at the imposing man, frightened almost to the point of paralysis. "I did. But once I got her to the ranch, I realized what a mistake I'd made, because I didn't know _who_ she was, so how was I going to get ransom for her?"_

"_So why didn't you let her go, huh?" Wakka said sharply._

"_I – I told you! I was panicked. I didn't want her to run back and tell everyone. I didn't want to go to jail and leave my poor birds all alone!" The man sounded seriously distraught._

"_So what happened?" Lulu asked, trying to remain calm. _Someone _had to. The two men were about to completely blow up at this bird farmer._

"_He came to collect," Clasko said softly. "And when I didn't have the money, he threatened to kill my chocobos!"_

_Auron took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. "Continue," he forced out._

"_Well, things were getting – getting pretty bad," Clasko said. "And then his assistant found something in your Rikku's jacket."_

"_Found what?" Wakka asked._

"_I – I don't really know. But when he read it, all he said was 'Bingo'."_

_Auron's chest tightened. He knew without a doubt what the maniac had found. _My note!

"_He said my debt would be absolved if I handed over the girl," Clasko said in a barely audible voice._

"_And you DID?" This time, it was Yuna's voice that broke in. Yuna and Tidus had arrived just a few minutes earlier, and had been standing in the doorway, listening. "You just – just let her go? Oh, Gods!"_

_Auron closed his eyes and counted to ten before he asked the next question. "Clasko, what is this man's name?"_

_Clasko looked up at the detective and took a steadying breath. "Seymour Guado."_

The five of them had sat around after thanking Clasko for his help and granting him immunity – even though Auron dearly wanted to see him rot in a cell for handing Rikku over to that lunatic. There was nothing he could do now, though.

"So Seymour definitely has her now," Tidus mused.

"And we have no idea where Seymour is," Wakka added.

Lulu was massaging her temples. "The last time we made a sweep of the Omega Ruins, it was completely empty. So I'm sure that he's moved on from there. He must know that we found out about it. But he could be anywhere now."

"Enough!" Auron stated firmly, slamming his fist down onto his desk.

Yuna nodded and took a long breath. "Right. Right. This doesn't do us any good now. The best detectives in Spira are working on this case, and we just have to have faith that they can find her and get her home to us."

"That's right," Tidus nodded.

Auron looked at Yuna firmly. "You should practice what you preach," he told her. "You can't mope around your apartment any more. You need to get back to work. Have faith, like you just said. Sitting at home, doing nothing, won't get her back here any faster."

Yuna bit her lip to keep from crying and nodded. She knew Auron was speaking the truth. Beside her, Tidus squeezed her hand. "Tomorrow, right, Yuna? You'll go to work tomorrow?"

Yuna smiled sadly. "Yes. I'll go tomorrow."

And she _had_ gone back to work the next day, and she had been working with her patients while her cousin married the vilest creature in Spira.

It was on Tuesday, three days later, when Yuna went to work, that she caught a glimpse of the Daily Sun on the nurses' station desk. The nurses liked to read the "Lifestyle" section, which talked about all the weddings and engagements around Spira, and that was the page the paper was open to when Yuna walked by.

"Oh, my Gods!" she gasped, her coffee cup dropping to the ground. "Rikku? No, Rikku, no!"

She sank to the ground, head in her hands, and wept. "Yuna?" One of the nurses knelt down beside Yuna. "Are you okay?"

Yuna smiled at the kind face of the young nurse, Shelinda. "I – I'm fine. Excuse me for a moment." She stood up and headed to the Doctor's Lounge, where she immediately reached in her bag for her cell phone.

"Uh, those aren't allowed in here," a condescending voice behind her said.

Yuna turned to see one of her old med school rivals – Dona Angelica – standing behind her, hands on her hips.

Yuna closed her eyes briefly and prayed for strength. Dona, Yuna had decided a long time ago, was one of those trials that good people sometimes often had to deal with. "I know that, Dona. I'm going to take it outside," she said calmly. "If you'll excuse me, I'm kind of having a family emergency."

Yuna pushed past Dona toward the door, but Dona grabbed her arm. "Wait," Dona said, her voice a little kinder. "Is it about your cousin?"

Yuna looked down, trying to fight the tears that were threatening. "He's evil, Dona. And he took her. And I don't know what he did to her to make her marry him, but I'm going to find out. And I'm going to fix it."

Dona only nodded, and she released Yuna's arm. "Yuna," she said.

Yuna paused before opening the door. "Yes?"

"If you need help, let me know."

Yuna managed a small smile. "Thanks, Dona."

As soon as she was outside of the hospital, she dialed the PD's number. "LaGuard, please," she said to the woman who answered the phone.

"Detective LaGuard hasn't come to work yet," the woman said in a chipper voice.

Yuna sighed. "Okay, then, Magis or Capitan. Whoever's available." She wasn't in the mood to play games.

"Lulu Magis," Lulu's voice said a few moments later.

"Oh, Gods, Lulu!" Yuna cried. "Did you – did you see the paper today?"

On her end of the line, Lulu arched a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "I don't really have time to read the paper right now, Yuna," she said, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"Lulu, listen to me! I know Wakka gets a paper every day – look in the 'Lifestyles' section," Yuna said.

At that moment, Wakka burst into Lulu's office. "Lu, get off the phone, ya? I got somethin' to show ya."

Lulu looked over at her partner, who strangely enough, had the very section of the paper that Yuna had just been talking about. "Lulu is that Wakka?" Yuna asked.

"Yes," Lulu said. She motioned for Wakka to hand her the paper.

Wakka flipped the page over to reveal a nearly full-page shot of Seymour Guado and Rikku – dressed in wedding finery. A quick scan of the caption below confirmed that the two had indeed, gotten married. On Saturday.

"Oh, my Gods," Lulu whispered.

"Lulu, what the _hell_ did he do to her?" Yuna was frantic.

"Yuna, I don't know," Lulu said.

At that moment, Auron strode through Lulu's office door, a crazed look in his one good eye. "What the _fuck _is going on?" he roared.

"Yuna, I have to go. Auron just got here. I'll get back to you really soon, I promise."

"No! Lulu, wait!" Yuna cried. But it was too late. Lulu had already hung up. Yuna gently hit the back of her head against the side of the hospital and stared up at the sky. "What did you _do_ to her, you monster?" she whispered.

**Part Three**  
So far, so good. Seymour hadn't come to her as her _husband_ yet, and it had been nearly six days. Rikku knew that she was supposed to _love_ this man, but something in her mind just kept telling her how _wrong _it all seemed. She just needed some more time to sort this all out in her confused brain. 

Every night, it seemed, she had the same dream. And the same man was there. He always had the same yearning look on his face, and his plea was always the same:

_Rikku, come home soon._

Was he real, or just a figment of her convoluted mind? And if he _was_ real, _who_ was he? Did he love her? Did _she _love _him_?

On the fifth night of her marriage, her husband finally came to her – and not knowing any different, knowing only one thing for certain – that he _was_ her husband -- she didn't deny him. But it was painful, and almost -- _stomach-churning _-- and the whole time, she felt detached, and empty, and she kept hearing the same thing in her mind, over and over and over again.

_Not him. Not Seymour. Rikku! Come home._

It was over quickly, and afterwards, her "husband" rolled over and fell asleep. Rikku shoved the blankets off of her body and rose from the bed. She pulled on a pretty emerald green silk robe and padded down the hallway.

She didn't really know where she was going, because she hadn't really had a chance to explore her home since being back after the accident. She was hoping to maybe find something that would jog her memory.

In the ornately decorated and sweeping front entranceway, she opened a door and saw with some disappointment that it was only a closet. She began to close the door, when a brown leather jacket caught her eye. It was small – small enough to be _hers_.

Slowly, she pulled it out, hoping to trigger some sort of memory by holding it in her hands. A piece of paper fluttered to the ground.

Looking around surreptitiously, Rikku knelt and picked it up.

_Rikku,_

_When I saw this, it reminded me of your eyes. I am always thinking of you._

_-- A_

"A?" Rikku murmured to herself. _Are you the one calling to me?_ she wondered.

Without warning, tears sprung to her eyes. She _hated _this! She couldn't remember anything! There were many people and things – like her husband, this house – that should be at the forefront of her mind, and yet she couldn't remember _anything_!

The one memory that she did have was warm arms encircling her – but there was no face to go with that memory, and no name. She assumed it was Seymour, her husband. But, oh, how she wished for one fleeting memory to return to her.

"I just want to know where I belong," she whispered, burying her face in the soft leather of her jacket. "Is this place home? It must be, but it feels so wrong – so cold."

There was a tiny nagging at the back of her mind, and it was constantly there. "This isn't right," she said softly to herself. "But, then, what _is_?"


	9. Chapter 9: Don't Know Why

**Chapter Nine  
****Don't Know Why  
**

**Part One  
**Maybe it was all just a nightmare. Maybe soon, she'd wake up, far away from this place, in a warm and loving bed, encircled by the warm and loving arms of a man whose face was permanently etched on her heart.

Today was not that day. Today was just another miserable day in her downward-spiraling life. Today she woke up and cringed when she looked to her left and saw _him_ lying there, sleeping, beside her.

Memories of the previous week played over and over again in her mind – the only memories that she had any more. And they were terrifying.

_He found her, huddling in the front foyer closet, hugging her old brown jacket and that Yevon-forsaken note close to her heart, and he snapped. He grabbed her roughly by the arm and practically threw her into the wall._

"_What the _hell_ are you doing?"_ _he demanded in a harsh tone._

"_I – I'm sorry. I just – I was trying to remember, and I saw this jacket. It – it's mine!" she stammered._

"_What exactly are you trying to remember?" he sneered._

"_I – I don't know!" she cried. "Something. _Anything_."_

"_What I tell you isn't enough? You don't believe me? Is that it?"_

_She shook her head. "No – that's not what I meant!" Tears were threatening her now, and she knew she wouldn't be able to fight them for long. "I – believe you, Seymour. I do. But I would like my mind to form recognition of you and this place on it's own."_

"_Well, looking at this note won't help," Seymour said, and snatched it roughly from her hand. "It's from your kidnapper. That bastard LaGuard. He tried to entice you with gifts, and when you wouldn't be swayed, he just took you."_

_Rikku bit her lower lip. "I'm sorry," she breathed. "I really didn't know."_

"_Did you wonder if he was perhaps a lover of yours?" Seymour sneered._

_Rikku shook her head, vehemently denying the accusation, even though it had been one that had been playing in the back of her head the whole time._

_Seymour saw what was behind her swirling Al Bhed eyes and the rage in his own oculars was clear. "Don't lie to me, _pedlr_," he swore in Rikku's native language._

_She knew it instinctively and bristled._

"_I see that you remember your roots," Seymour said unkindly. "Just remember, _pedlr_, that you are damn lucky to be here. Your people are the most hated in Spira, because your kind brings destruction."_

_Grabbing her by the arm, he led her roughly down the hall and back into the bedroom. She was sobbing by the time they got there, and he had had enough._

"_Stop sniveling, you ungrateful little whelp." Seymour punctuated his sentence with a swift slap across the girl's face. When this only made her cry more, he grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her roughly. "Why don't I just give you something to cry about?"_

_And with that, he shoved her down onto the bed and forced himself upon her, cruelly and maliciously. When he finished with her, she rolled over and curled into a ball, in pain and on fire, and she wept silently into her pillow, until, out of sheer exhaustion, she fell asleep._

The cycle continued for days and days, until Rikku just stopped feeling altogether. Seymour was hardly ever around, and when he was, she tried to ignore him. She knew he didn't like it, and she knew it only fueled his rage, but at this point, she didn't care. She allowed him to hit her, allowed him to rape her – there was nothing left inside her any way. He had taken it all. Piece by bloody piece.

She didn't know where she was, and she didn't know who she was. But she was more certain than ever – every time she looked in the mirror and saw her once pretty, vibrant face marred by ugly black marks – that she was in the wrong place.

**Part Two**  
"Oh, this is _pointless_!" Yuna lamented one evening while poring over a medical book at her kitchen table. "Without seeing her or talking to her, there is _no way_ for us to figure out what is wrong with her. And if we don't know what's _wrong_ with her ..." 

"There's no way to fix it," Lulu finished.

"And that's only _if_ there's something to fix, ya?" Wakka put in.

Yuna narrowed her eyes. "Are you suggesting that my cousin married the maniac of her own free will?" she said evenly.

Wakka's eyes widened a little at Yuna's sudden resolve. "Well, no, a' course not, Yuna. But what if he threatened to kill her or somethin'?"

Yuna's eyes widened. "Oh, Gods," she murmured. "Do you think that could be it, Lulu?"

Lulu looked sympathetically at the young doctor. "I don't know, Yuna. I would think that _if_ Rikku were in that sort of situation, she would have found a way to get word to us somehow. She's bright, and very technologically savvy." She looked at Wakka apologetically. "Sorry, Wakka, but I think that our best bet is that Seymour has done something to her. We know he's big into creating drugs. His father _did_ run that pharmaceutical company." She shrugged. "He could have easily created some kind of neurotoxin."

"Neurotoxin?" Tidus asked, blue eyes wide and, Lulu thought, slightly uncomprehending.

Lulu sighed. "There are a lot of chemicals out there, that when mixed correctly and administered correctly, have a sort of amnesia-like effect on people," she explained.

"But amnesia wears off, right?" Tidus asked, crumpling up a piece of paper and shooting it into the wastebasket.

"Not always," Yuna said. "And not if it's administered by someone. I mean, he could be re-dosing her as she sleeps." At the thought, Yuna's eyes filled with tears. "And she's with him, so she's going to believe what he tells her ..."

"Well, but if it's a drug, shouldn't there be some kind of antidote?" Tidus was still going strong.

"You can't create an antidote for something when you don't know the components," Yuna said gently.

Just then, they heard the door to Yuna's apartment open and then slam shut. "Please, Gods, tell me that somebody has come up with something." Auron's rough voice preceded him into the kitchen.

Yuna forced a tiny half-smile when he entered. He looked positively wretched. He was pale, and had bags under his eyes, and he hadn't shaved in a few days. "Without knowing what we're working with, there's nothing that I can do," she said apologetically.

Auron just shook his head. "What about leads on the whereabouts of Seymour?" he asked Lulu.

"We've got people from every police department scouring every inch of Spira even as we speak. If they find something, then they will let Wakka and I know," Lulu said, trying to keep an even tone. "Look, I know that it's hard. It's hard on all of us. But there's nothing we can do right now, but wait. We know that Seymour is after _you_. He won't stay hidden for long."

"Right!" Yuna said, trying to sound light. "I mean, if she gets sick or something, I'm sure he'll take her to a hospital, if only to alert you."

Tidus looked confused again. "So, now we want Rikku to get sick?" he asked.

Lulu shook her head in exasperation. "I swear ..." she muttered to herself. "He's all yours, Yuna." She turned to Wakka. "Could you go back to the office and see if we've gotten any faxes?"

"Sure thing, Lu," Wakka said. "Where are you goin'?"

Lulu sighed. "Home. I haven't slept more than three hours at a time for the past month." She turned to Auron. "Will you be all right?"

Auron nodded. "I'll be fine."

She smiled slightly. "Okay. Yuna, I'll talk to you tomorrow. Let me know if you hear _anything_."

Yuna nodded. "Of course."

One by one, everyone left the apartment, until only Tidus and Yuna remained. "Well, I guess I should get going too," Tidus said reluctantly. He always hated this part of the night, when they said goodbye, and he left her there alone. But she wasn't ready to take the next step with him, not yet, anyway, and he respected her enough to wait. She was worth waiting for.

"Wait," Yuna said, grabbing his arm and pulling him back to her. "Stay."

Tidus looked at her, eyes full of questions. "Yuna? Are you sure?"

Yuna nodded. "This whole – thing – has made me realize that life is too short and too precious to waste. Because you could be here one day, and the next – you could be gone." She pulled him to her until their lips met. "I want to cherish every moment that I have with you. So stay."

"Well, then," Tidus said. He took her delicate face in his hands and looked her deeply in the eyes. "Cherish me, Yuna. And I'll cherish you."

**Part Three  
**Tromell was tired of it. He had worked for Seymour's father, Jyscal before _That Which Is Not Spoken Of_ happened. Jyscal Guado had been a good, fair man, but he had never been the same since the accident that killed his wife.

Tromell supposed that that was when things started changing. Seymour had been a good son, and he had loved his mother deeply. When his parents were in the accident, and his mother had died, Seymour had blamed Jyscal. Seymour had been only nine at the time, but he had carried that heavy resentment for his father for a long time.

That resentment eventually turned into full-blown hatred, until one day, only a few years ago, that Seymour did the unthinkable.

_That Which Is Not Spoken Of_.

Afterwards, he had forced Tromell to stay and work for him. Well, more like _threatened_ Tromell. And Tromell, having seen what Seymour was capable of, had stayed.

And now he felt like a coward and a failure. He had failed Jyscal, who had been his dearest friend. And he had failed Emmeline, Seymour's mother, for he had sworn to look after her son.

And now, there was this girl. This dainty, pretty little thing who he had seen looking so vibrant and full of life before. Now when he saw her, his heart nearly broke. She was merely a shell of the girl she had been. A bruised, battered, bloody shell.

She, too, had learned that it was futile to try and fight Seymour. And the things he did to her – Tromell could not even _begin_ to understand. It made what he had done to his father look benign.

Tromell knew he had to stop it, somehow, but he was completely powerless against the madman. He sat and prayed every night for the strength to stop Seymour.

And one night, the idea came to him. It was so simple, and he could remain completely blameless. Seymour would never have to know who had given him away.

And Rikku would be safe and home. And maybe Auron LaGuard could stop Seymour once and for all.

These were Tromell's thoughts as he sat at his desk late one night and composed his letter ...

**A/N: Well, fear not, my beloved readers. It may seem as though this is rolling to a close -- but it's not. It's very very very far from over. The muse is definitely with me right now and I have a lot of things I still want to do with this -- I haven't decided how to end it yet. I am a big fan of happy endings, but I also like angsty endings too. But the end isn't near, so I have a lot of time to work it out in my head. R&R please! XD**


	10. Chapter 10: Holy Water

**Chapter Ten  
****Holy Water**

**Part One**  
The letter arrived at the B.P.D. just a few days later. Wakka was the first to see it, and he immediately ran to show Lulu. "Lu! We just got this anonymous letter from someone, says he knows where Rikku is!" 

Lulu snatched the letter out of her partner's hands. "Praise Yevon," she breathed. "There's even a map." She looked up at Wakka, her red-brown eyes burning. "We can get her – we can get her _today_," she said, her resolve evident in her voice. "It says here that 'the Master' is out, though it doesn't give us any indication as to where we might _find_ him."

"That's not important right now, Lu," Wakka said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "We can find him _later_, after Rikku's safe and sound back here."

Lulu chewed on her lower lip, something she only did when she was deep in thought about something that made her nervous. Wakka liked that he knew this about her. She looked back at Wakka. "We shouldn't tell Auron. Not yet. We can't have him barging in there and blowing our cover and everything that we've worked for. It could be a trap, and we can't risk LaGuard. You, Paine, Gippal and I will go in after her, and then we'll send her home with you."

Wakka looked puzzled. "Why me?"

"You're the last person that Seymour will suspect. He knows that Auron has – _feelings _– for her, he knows that she and I were becoming friends. We sure as hell can't send her back to Yuna's. Besides, you are the _only _under-the-radar male in this scenario, and of course Seymour is going to expect her to be with a female for safekeeping."

She almost laughed at the look on Wakka's face. She touched his hand reassuringly. "Enough, Wakka! You'll be fine. Besides, you're a good listener and non-threatening, and she might need that."

Wakka still looked uncertain. "If you say so, Lu," he said slowly.

"Good, we're agreed. Go call Paine and Gippal. _Don't_ tell them anything over the phone, just get them down here. And if you see Auron, just tell him that we have some new leads on Seymour, but nothing more," Lulu instructed as she walked back to her desk, letter in hand.

Wakka left, and Lulu picked up the phone and called Bevelle General Hospital. There had been another sheet of paper along with the letter. Lulu had skimmed it quickly and deduced that it was the components of whatever Seymour had used to drug Rikku.

"Bevelle General," a chipper voice answered on the other end of the line.

"Is Dr. Summers available?" Lulu asked.

"Hold please."

A few minutes later, Yuna was on the phone. "Dr. Summers."

"Yuna, it's Lulu."

Yuna immediately bristled on her end. "Yes?" She always feared bad news when someone from the P.D. called.

"When do you have your lunch break?" Lulu queried.

Yuna looked at her watch. "In about a half hour. Why?"

"I need you to come down to the station," Lulu said brusquely.

"Why?" Yuna asked, her heart thumping wildly now.

"I can't discuss it over the phone. Just come to my office as soon as you can." With that, Lulu hung up the phone.

Yuna was there in less than forty minutes, looking pale and frantic. "Lulu, what's going on? Is it Rikku?"

Lulu looked at Yuna evenly. "We received an anonymous letter today. We're not sure if it means anything or if it's an extremely clever trap set by Seymour. But whoever sent it, also included this." She handed the young doctor the list of components. "Does any of this look familiar?"

"Well, this one – is oil from the Ahriman, and this one here," she pointed to an item, "is basically scales from a Malboro. The rest of these are agents that can be used to erase ones memory," Yuna said slowly. She continued reading the list and her face went pale. "Some of these are – permanent mind-benders. You hardly ever see them used any more, because they are so dangerous. I think that this one here is actually illegal."

"Leave it to Seymour, right?" Lulu said dryly. "Do you think you can make an antidote based on this list?"

Yuna took a deep breath. "I know a few of the lab technicians who probably will be able to, but Lulu – like I said, some of these are _permanent_. Even with an antidote or remedy of some kind, Rikku still may not remember everything."

Lulu looked at her quizzically. "What exactly are you saying, Yuna?"

Yuna looked down. "I'm saying that because of the introduction of some of these agents into her system, some of her memories may be lost forever." She looked back at Lulu. "But we have some really amazing lab technicians, and they might be able to come up with something."

Lulu smiled sadly at Yuna. "I won't keep you any longer," she said gently. "See what you can figure out at the hospital, and we'll let you know when we have more news."

Yuna nodded and stood to leave. "Thanks, Lulu," she said.

"Stay safe," Lulu said.

**Part Two**  
He was gone. Thank the gods, he was gone. Business or something. Rikku didn't know, nor did she care. All that mattered was that he was away from her, and maybe, just maybe, she could find a way out. 

She didn't know where she belonged, but she knew that anywhere had to be better than here. She stayed hidden in her room all day the first day he was gone, trying to figure out her escape route.

The only problem was, she didn't know _where_ this house was – and even if she did, she doubted she'd remember enough to find her way around. She began to feel like maybe it was all completely hopeless, and she was tired of thinking. She curled up into a ball on the huge, ostentatious bed and pulled the blankets up over her head.

Maybe they'd all just forget about her, and let her die in peace ...

... Dying was apparently not on the agenda for Rikku that day, or any day following it. A few hours after she had cocooned herself, she heard voices in the hallway, and then heavy footsteps coming her way.

She sat up quickly, and nearly came out of her skin when the bedroom door was thrown open. Two people, dressed from head-to-toe in black, stood there. "Rikku!" the man's voice exclaimed.

Rikku's green eyes widened. _He knows my name! He knows me! _Rikku jumped up quickly and ran to them. She threw her arms around the neck of the man, feeling tears threatening. "For the love of the gods," she hissed, "get me the _hell_ out of here!"

Wakka looked over at Lulu, who was looking helplessly at the younger girl. Lulu nodded at Wakka. Sighing, he scooped up the petite blonde and carried her out of the house.

**Part Three**  
"You're not going to tell LaGuard?" Wakka asked Lulu later that evening, after they had gotten Rikku settled in at his spartan apartment. He peered over his shoulder at the couch, where the shaken girl was wrapped in a blanket, her hair still wet from the shower she had insisted on taking. 

Lulu shook her head. "Not until we get an antidote. It's upsetting enough, to have her back without her memories. He doesn't need that right now. And _neither_ does she. It will only hurt them both more." She patted Wakka's arm gently. "I'm going to go see Yuna. I'll bring her back here in an hour or so."

Wakka nodded. "Should I, uh, go and talk to her?"

Lulu smiled. "She seems to trust you, at least a little, so I think that you should sit with her, try to jog her memory." Lulu cast one last glance at the girl, and then left Wakka's apartment.

Wakka walked over to the couch and sat down beside Rikku. "Are you all right, Rikku?" he asked gently. "Do you need another blanket, or some food?"

Rikku looked at the man beside her, studied his face. "Why do you know me?" she finally asked.

Wakka grinned at her. "Because, you belong here, ya."

"Here?" Rikku queried.

"In Bevelle. Lulu went to go get Yuna." When the name didn't seem to strike a cord with Rikku, he went on. "Yuna's your cousin."

Rikku's head shot up. "My – my cousin? I have – family?" Inexplicable tears came to her eyes. "He – he told me – that I had no family. That – they abandoned me, and that I should be grateful to him for taking care of me."

Wakka's eyes narrowed. "Some care he took of you," he said sourly, looking at the girl's blackened eyes, and severely bruised arms. And that was just the parts of her that he could _see_. If he'd been a betting man, he would have guessed that there were even nastier scars and bruises elsewhere.

"But you – you know me, right? You aren't lying to me?" Rikku seemed desperate, as the tears fell down her face.

Wakka's compassion took over, and he reached out and put his arm around her small shoulders. "Hey, it's okay, ya? You'll be fine now. Me and Lu, and Yuna, we're gonna take care a' you. And you can trust us, okay? It's that lousy son of a shoopuf Seymour that you gotta watch out for."

Rikku nodded miserably and sank against Wakka's shoulder, sobs wracking her small frame. Not knowing what else to do, Wakka just sat there, arm around her lightly, and let her cry herself to sleep.

Lulu, Yuna, and Tidus showed up about an hour later, and were taken aback by the scene before them. Wakka still sat with Rikku, his arm around her, and she was nestled into his side.

"Aww," Yuna said, tears in her own eyes when she saw her cousin. Then she got closer, and saw the condition Rikku was in and became livid. "What the hell did he do to her?"

Wakka looked up at the doctor. "I think the better question is, what _didn't_ he do to her?" He turned back to the sleeping girl beside him. "Rikku? Wake up, ya?"

Rikku's eyes fluttered open, and she visibly started to see herself resting in some stranger's arms. Yuna rushed to the front of the couch, and knelt before the broken girl.

"Rikku, it's Yuna," she said.

Rikku recognized the kind, gently pretty face from somewhere deep inside her heart. "Yuna," she repeated. "My cousin." She reached out and touched Yuna's face softly. Smiling sadly. "My heart knows you, but sadly the rest of me does not."

Yuna nodded, tears in her eyes. "It's okay, we're working on a way to fix it. We're just so glad you're home!" Gingerly, she reached out and hugged her cousin.

Rikku winced in pain. "My – ribs," she gasped.

Wakka nodded. "I think that he broke them, and they haven't fully healed yet."

There was fire behind Yuna's unique eyes. "He's going to pay for this," she said firmly. She looked back at Rikku. "Don't worry, he'll pay for this."

Rikku bit her lower lip. "Why – why can't I remember you?"

Lulu sank down beside Yuna. "Seymour injected you with some kind of serum. They are working on an antidote at the hospital right now."

"Serum?" Rikku looked confused. "He – he told me I was kidnapped, and when I tried to escape, I was clubbed over the head."

"You _were_ kidnapped," Tidus chimed in. "By _him_. And obviously the only clubbing that got done was by his _own_ hands."

"Who did he say kidnapped you?" Lulu asked.

"Some cop. LaGuard – or something?"

"Dammit ..." Wakka said.

"What?" Rikku asked.

"It's just typical of Seymour, that's all," Lulu told her. "Auron LaGuard is his biggest rival. He's the one man standing in the way of Seymour's total domination of Spira." Noting the concern on Rikku's face, she quickly explained. "But there is _nothing_ about Auron LaGuard that you should fear. He'd never hurt you."

Rikku sat there, amidst the people who claimed to know and love her, and she felt as isolated now as she had before, maybe even more so. Here were these wonderful people, opening themselves up to her, and she didn't _know_ them, and it was killing her.

But if what they were saying was true ... maybe her memory would be back soon, and she could finally get back to whatever her life _really _was.

And maybe, just maybe, she could find the love that she had left behind, the love that had kept her strong these past few months, the love that she had been dreaming of.

And the dark-haired man that she knew was waiting for her ... _somewhere_ in these clouded memories.

**A/N: I know it may seem like this is winding to a close, but I've got a LOT more twists and turns coming, and a lot more BAD stuff too ... Things can't get too happy, too quickly, now can they? Oh, and DON'T worry about the Wakka and Rikku thing. I just had this idea that I would make them good friends. Don't worry, I'm not about to get all crazy and Wakka/Rikku CRAZY up in here. Like I've said a hundred thousand times before -- this is an AURIKKU. It may take a while to get to anything Aurikku-ish, but that's the heart of the whole story! So bear with me while I throw in all my little wrenches and twists and turns. And as always, R&R and make me HAPPY! Rhianna**


	11. Chapter 11: In Loving Memory

**Chapter Eleven  
****In Loving Memory **

**Part One  
**Wakka really felt bad. Auron didn't seem to be doing so well any more, without a leg to stand on. Lulu kept telling him that they had gotten some leads on Seymour, and that they were doing all they could. But in reality, the girl that was forefront in the detective's mind was sitting on Wakka's couch, wrapped in a blanket, and watching television.

And she'd been there for a week.

Wakka understood that Lulu wanted to make the transition easy for _everyone _involved. He knew as bad as Auron felt now, he'd feel even _worse _if he came face to face with a girl he felt deeply about who had no recollection of him at all.

Those were the things that Wakka kept repeating to himself over and over again as he walked in to work every day. Those thoughts didn't keep him from feeling damn guilty every time he passed LaGuard in the halls of the Department, though.

"Lu, I'm gonna cave!" he vented one morning about a week after Rikku had been back.

Lulu rolled her eyes at her exasperated partner. "No, you're not," she said firmly. "He doesn't suspect anything amiss, and you said it yourself, Rikku's doing really well. And Yuna said the lab technicians at the hospital have almost figured out the antidote. Just give it another week, Wakka."

"Whatever you say," Wakka muttered. "_You're_ not the one he'll come after once he finds out, ya?"

Lulu shook her head. "Wakka," she said warningly.

With that, Wakka headed back to his own office, shaking his head. He had no sooner sat down at his desk than the desk clerk buzzed him. "I'm sorry to bother you, Mr. Capitan," she said in that ingratiatingly chipper voice of hers. "But you have a call on line one."

"Thanks, Calli," he said, picking up the phone. "This is Capitan."

"We're out of Twinkies," the familiar female voice said on the other end.

Wakka smiled in spite of himself. The past week had taken a lot of getting used to, but now he loved having her around. Once she warmed up to him, she was funny and very sweet. She always found a way to make him smile. She was just like a little sister, and he enjoyed her company. He could easily see why LaGuard was so enamored of her.

Of course he, himself, was far too enamored of one Lulu Magis to even think fleeting romantic thoughts about his new roommate.

"Hello?" she said after a few moments. "Are you listening to me?"

"Oh, yeah, yeah, sorry," he said absently into the phone.

Rikku rolled her eyes on her end of the line. He was annoying, and absent-minded, but she trusted him more than anyone right now. He had been there that first night, when she had been afraid, and alone, and unsure.

But she didn't feel about him the way one would feel about someone they were romantically interested in. He was – her big brother, her best friend, and she would be lost without him.

"Twinkies, Wakka, Twinkies," she told him in exasperation.

"I heard you da first time, ya?" Wakka snapped back.

Rikku pouted. "Well, I'd go get them _myself_, but _someone_ won't let me leave the apartment ..."

"You know it's too dangerous. We can't have anything happenin' to ya now that we got you back, eh?"

Rikku smiled in spite of herself. "I know, I know. So, whatcha doin' right now?"

"Working," Wakka told her dryly.

"Really? Is _that_ what you do every day? I thought you just went to follow Lulu around like a puppy," Rikku retorted.

"You're a real comedian, you know dat?" Wakka said.

"Ahem."

The voice at his door made Wakka look up. Auron stood there, looking at him. "Sorry to interrupt, but I need to talk to you about something Tidus found."

Rikku heard the other voice faintly through the phone, and her heart sped up. It was – familiar. Strangely familiar. Why? "Wakka? Who's there?"

"Uh, n-no one. I'll talk to you later, ya? And I'll bring you the Twinkies," Wakka stammered out nervously, and hung up.

Rikku sat staring at the phone back in the apartment, her mind jumbled and full of even more questions.

Auron looked at Wakka strangely. "Was that an important call?" he asked the younger man.

Wakka shook his head. "That? Oh, no, it was just – well, my cousin's visitin' from Besaid, and she got bored back at the apartment, that's all."

"I – see," Auron said. Wakka noticed how haggard he looked. Once again, he felt the guilt wash over him.

"You okay?" Wakka couldn't help asking.

The older man nodded. "I'm fine," he said brusquely, but Wakka could see that he wasn't. He was in pain, and it was eating him from the inside out.

"If you need to talk, I'm always available," Wakka said kindly.

"Thank you. If you'll excuse me," Auron said, turning to go.

"Wait! Didn't you say you needed to talk to me?" Wakka asked.

Auron looked confused, and then blank. "No." He sighed. "It can wait. I need to take a walk."

Wakka watched him go, and once again questioned if they were doing the right thing.

**Part Two  
**"Lu, it's not right!" Wakka lamented later that afternoon while he and Lulu were having lunch at a small cafe.

"Wakka, it's for the best," Lulu reiterated. She was growing weary of the charade herself, but didn't see any other way. When Auron and Rikku reunited, she wanted the moment to be perfect – and happy for _everyone_.

"No, it's _not_," Wakka raged. Lulu had never seen him so angry. "You did not see him this morning. He looks _awful_, Lu. Like he hasn't slept in days. Like his heart is just completely gone." _Like I would be if anything ever happened to you,_ he thought, but couldn't bring himself to say it. "What if it was someone you cared about, Lu? Wouldn't you at least want to know that he is safe?"

Lulu looked at him, seeing him in a new light. _This _Wakka was a man of passion and conviction, and she tried to fight the feelings bubbling up inside of her. "It's not that I'm trying to hurt anyone, Wakka. Not at all. It's just that things have been very hard for LaGuard, and for Rikku. The two of them – they've both suffered incredible losses, and they don't need any more pain in their lives. They are the _same_, Wakka. And they belong together. But not like this."

Wakka looked at Lulu, showing her heart for the first time in his presence. He fell for her even more. "Lu, he may not make it much longer like this," Wakka said hoarsely.

"He won't have to. If those lab techs at the hospital come through like Yuna thinks they will, we'll have Rikku Sands whole and safe again within the week," Lulu told him. She reached across the table and squeezed his hand. They both jumped at the sudden current that seemed to shoot straight through them. Lulu looked at Wakka – into those hazel eyes that she had come to adore, and had to look away.

"We should go," he said quietly.

She nodded. "Yeah." She stood up to leave, and then turned back. "Wakka ..."

"Yeah?"

"It'll be okay."

**Part Three  
**He opened the door to his apartment and was immediately assaulted by a flying white box that hit him square on the forehead. "Ow! Hey!" He picked up the empty Twinkies box and muttered obscenities about "Al Bhed heathens" under his breath.

Rikku's blonde head peeked up from the couch. "I heard that," she said warningly. "Well? Where are they?"

"I forgot 'em," Wakka said apologetically. "It was kind of a weird day at work."

Rikku contemplated this for a minute. "Well, tell me what happened and I'll decide if you're forgiven or not."

Wakka rolled his eyes. "Maybe I don't want to tell you, huh?"

"Oh, so that means it's about Lulu," Rikku teased. "You better tell me!" She reached for the nearest thing to throw at him, which happened to be a battery-powered clock radio.

"All right, all right. Just put the clock down," Wakka cried out. "You're a violent roommate, you know that?"

Rikku smiled her sunshine-y smile. "Me?" she said with feigned innocence. She pointed to the armchair opposite the couch. "Sit. Talk."

"Bossy, too," he said. He saw the look in her eyes and laughed. "All right, all right!"

He proceeded to tell Rikku about his lunch with Lulu, and how she had gotten up and left so abruptly. "What do you think that means?" he asked her.

Rikku shrugged. "I've thought that she has a thing for you ever since I got here a week ago. I think you should talk to her."

Wakka thought on this for a while, and then he turned back to Rikku. "Do you have _any_ memories of any of us? Anything coming back to you?" he asked her.

Rikku looked back at him, and then looked down at her blanket. She began picking at the loose pieces of fuzz. "I know that I can trust you guys, because you all seem so familiar to me. And I know that you have to be right about what happened with Seymour, because I don't think that I'm the kind of person who would marry someone like him. Nothing – _not one thing_ – about him, or his home seemed familiar to me. But _everything _around here – it's like it's in the back of my mind somewhere, and I just have to dig it out."

"But what about _us_?" Wakka pried, leaning forward in his chair.

"I know that I _know_ Yuna. She's on my heart or something. Intrinsically part of me, like only family can be. And I remembered _your_ smile. I think your smile is actually one of those things that came to me in dreams and images I had. And Lulu's eyes – no one else has eyes like hers, so how could it be anyone else that I was remembering?"

Wakka nodded. "Anything else?"

"Why are you being so nosy?" Rikku asked him, refusing to meet his eyes.

"I'm just trying to help, ya?"

Rikku nodded. "There's nothing else that is coming to me right now," she told him, still not looking at him.

Wakka sat back, not intending to pry any further. He knew there was something she wasn't telling him, but he wouldn't force her to talk. She'd tell him, in her own time.

They sat in companionable silence, watching TV for what seemed like hours that evening. Finally, Rikku reached over, took the remote out of Wakka's hand, and turned off the set.

Wakka looked at her. "You tired?" he asked, concerned that she was wearing herself out.

She shook her head. "There's – there _is_ something else," she said meekly. She looked at him, squarely in the eyes. "A kiss. I remember a kiss." Tears began swimming in her eyes, and she tried to force them down. "I don't – remember who it was or when, but I know he's the one. He's the one that kept me from completely giving into the darkness when Seymour was raping me, and beating me, and degrading me." She closed her eyes, lost for a moment. "It was – that _perfect_ kiss that you only ever read about, you know? I _wish_ I could remember who he was."

Wakka just looked at her. "You don't remember his face?"

"It was – dark. The place that I remember this kiss, it was dark. So I don't have a face to go with my clearest memory. Isn't that sad?" Rikku brushed the tears her cheeks impatiently.

"Do you think you'd recognize him if you saw him?"

Rikku shook her head and closed her eyes. "No. And I don't want to know! I don't want someone else telling me who it is! I want to know on my _own_. I want to be able to see him in a crowd, and run to him, and hold him, and thank him for giving me a reason to live. But I have to do it on my own. I have to find him _on my own_."

The determination in her spiraled emerald eyes was enough for Wakka to know. He finally realized that all this time, Lulu had been right.

**Part Four  
**Two weeks later, Wakka finally mustered up the courage and decided that he was going to tell Lulu. He was going to invite her out to lunch and spill his heart out to her. He invited Yuna and Tidus to eat dinner with he and Rikku the night before. He needed the moral support.

Rikku sat beside Yuna, and across from Tidus and Wakka. She noticed Yuna and Tidus staring into each other's eyes as if no one else existed, and she smiled sadly to herself. She had begun to grow close to these people again, and she knew that they were people that she _had _loved, and would love again.

"So, Wakka, Tidus told me that I am a brat," Rikku said, trying to liven up the conversation. "Can you believe that?"

Wakka looked at Rikku and narrowed his eyes. "Rikku," he said slowly. "You _are_ a brat."

Rikku stuck her nose up in the air and gave a little sigh of indignation. "Meanie."

Yuna laughed. Rikku seemed to be doing so much better, and Isaaru, the lab tech, promised her that they were putting the finishing touches on the antidote. _Just a little more time, Rikku, and we'll have you back for real._ "So, Wakka," she said. "Why did you invite us all here, and without Lulu no less?"

Rikku gave Wakka an evil smirk. She was pretty sure she knew the reason. "Wakka's in _love_," she said teasingly.

Wakka glared at her, but Yuna smiled brightly. "Is that true? Are you finally going to tell her?"

Wakka looked down when he felt the color creeping up into his cheeks. "Yeah, I guess I am."

Yuna clapped her hand and grinned warmly at Tidus. "Well, that's wonderful!"

Rikku smiled and walked around the table to hug him. "Do I get to be in the wedding?" she asked jokingly.

"No brats allowed," he told her.

"Ha ha," she said, returning to her seat.

"Speaking of love," Tidus began timidly. "Uh, has anyone seen LaGuard lately?"

At the name, Rikku's head shot up. "LaGuard?"

"A detective," Yuna told her.

"I know. I just – I've heard that name." Rikku looked at her plate. "Seymour said he's the one who kidnapped me, remember?"

Wakka turned his attention back to Tidus. "I saw him a couple of days ago. Looked worse than ever," he said.

"Is he sick?" Rikku asked, concern all over her face for a man she didn't even know.

Yuna smiled sadly. "Heartsick, maybe."

Rikku looked down, puzzled. Why did she even care?

**Part Five  
**The next day, Wakka took great pains in making sure that he was exceptionally well prepared for his luncheon date with Lulu. He even practiced what he was going to say to Lulu in front of Rikku.

"She'd be crazy not to fall for you," Rikku told him honestly. "You're a great guy, and I'm glad I've gotten to know you. But, lucky for Lulu, you're not my type!" She smiled. "Oh, but if she moves in here, I'm not moving out. You'll just have to work around it."

Wakka laughed at her. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves, eh?"

"Good luck," Rikku said, watching him walk out the door. She returned to the couch and resigned herself to another long day of watching TV.

By noon, she was bored silly. "Oh, this is ridiculous," she muttered to herself. She remembered that Wakka had told her that he didn't have his lunch break until one-thirty, and if she got ready and left now, she could go down to the station and wish him luck, get out of the house for awhile, maybe go bug Tidus ... It seemed like a great plan.

She quickly showered and pulled on a pair of the jeans that Yuna had brought over for her, as well as a bright orange, cropped t-shirt and her trusty thick-soled boots and leather jacket. She braided her hair into two pigtails and when she was satisfied with her reflection, she hurried out to catch a cab.

The cab driver took her to the station without incident, and she climbed out and paid him his fee. She walked into the big gray building and walked up to the desk clerk. "Hi!" she said brightly. "I'm looking for Wakka Capitan."

"He should be in his office. It's down that hallway, third door on the right. I can buzz him if you want," the clerk said brightly.

"No, I'm trying to surprise him, if that's okay," Rikku said.

"Okay!"

Rikku walked in the direction the desk clerk had pointed her in, and found the door that said "Wakka Capitan" in bold black letters without a problem. She knocked, and there was no answer.

"Well, shoot," she muttered. _Now what?_ "I guess I could go look for Tidus, he might know where Wakka is." She walked down the hallway, and found only closed doorways. She wasn't about to knock on the office door of someone she didn't know. If the door was closed, it typically meant there was some important work going on.

She walked back down the hall until she heard a male voice coming from an open office. "What the hell?" she said, walking to the door.

The man, whoever he was, was sitting with his back to the door, talking on the phone with someone. Rikku waited patiently until he finished his conversation. He was the only sign of life she'd even _seen_ in this hallway, so she was going to take her chances.

He hung up and turned his chair back to his desk to write something down in a thick notebook. Rikku could see that he had dark hair that was peppered with some slight gray.

Cautiously, she knocked on the doorjamb. "I'm really sorry to interrupt your work, sir, but I'm looking for Wakka Capitan. Do you know where he might be?"

At the sound of her voice, Auron's head jerked up.

She stood in his doorway, a warm smile on her lovely face that faltered a little when his eyes meant hers. _I know him!_ Her heart screamed at her. _I know him!_

"Rikku?" Auron asked, standing up and crossing the room to her.

**A/N: How mean am I? I don't write for weeks because my life is crazy, and then I leave you all with a beautiful cliffhanger! Sorry, but you understand, it had to be done for this chapter to be effective. I hope you will all forgive me for making you wait so long! I really am sorry. My life is total chaos. But anyway,please READ AND REVIEW this! I really do thrive on everyone'sGREAT reviews! You guys make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, and that makes me want towrite more. Hopefully you like this ... and forgive me for the cliffy! XD**


	12. Chapter 12: Everytime

**Chapter Twelve  
****Everytime **

**Part One  
**Rikku didn't know what to make of this tall, dark and handsome man walking toward her. She looked at him, her eyes full of questions. When he reached her, he didn't even pause before taking her into his arms.

_The warmth ..._ she sighed in spite of herself. _Why is he holding me like this? I don't know him!_

"Oh, Rikku," he breathed. "Where did you come from?"

Rikku stepped back, trying to gather her thoughts. "Uh, first of all, do you do that with everyone who asks you a question?" Her green eyes were searching his face, looking for anything that might trigger a memory or an image.

"Rikku, it's me. Auron."

At the name, Rikku took another step back. "Auron. Auron LaGuard?"

Auron managed a smile, the first time in months. "Yes, Rikku, Auron LaGuard!"

Rikku put her hands on her temples and shook her head, trying to shake the fog from her memory. "I don't _know _you! Why does everyone talk about you to me like I _know _you? I _don't_!"

Auron looked at her in disbelief. Could Seymour have possibly done this much damage to her? _I'll kill him. I will kill him, and I won't even blink when I do it. _"Rikku, you _do _know me," he told her gently.

Rikku looked at him, noticed the beautiful copper color of his one good eye, the long, cruel scar that ran down the right side of his face, the hopeful look on his features. He looked tired, haggard, like someone who hadn't slept in a very long time. Like a man who had lost someone that he ...

Rikku's eyes widened. "You," she breathed. Then her features crumpled, and she looked completely heartbroken. "_NO_!" she cried out. "No, I don't want it like this! I should know you, right? I should be hugging you back – but I _can't remember_ a damn thing! And I hate it! I shouldn't have come here. I can't – I can't see you right now. And you shouldn't see me, either."

Auron stepped toward her and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, but Rikku shrugged it off as if it burned. "I'm sorry," she whispered, and turned to go.

Wakka stood in the doorway behind her, and he looked terrified. He looked down at Rikku, who had her hand over her mouth, choking back sobs. His expression changed from one of fear to one of deep concern. Carefully, he reached out and touched the top of her head.

Rikku looked up and the dam in her eyes broke. "Oh, _Wakka_," she sighed. "I'm _so_ _sorry_." She threw herself at him and let him hold onto her while she cried her entire heart out.

Wakka looked at Auron, and saw the pained look on the older man's face. He knew that he wouldn't be having lunch with Lulu _today_.

"Take her to Lulu," Auron told Wakka in a cool tone. "And then you come back here. We need to have a talk."

Wakka nodded and walked off wordlessly to Lulu's office. Lulu looked up when he entered, and her eyes narrowed when she saw Rikku, clinging to his arm for dear life.

"What in the name of Yevon is she doing here? And why is she crying?" Lulu demanded.

"It's not his fault, Lulu," Rikku began. "I got bored, and I decided to come and see you guys. But, Wakka wasn't – wasn't in his office, so I went to look for him. I stopped to ask someone if they knew where he was, and it was ..."

"Shh, Rikku, it's okay," Wakka said soothingly. "I'm sure Lulu can figure it out from there." He turned to his partner. "She needs to stay with you, because I have to go back and talk to LaGuard."

Lulu bit her lower lip again, and Wakka knew she was nervous. Was she nervous for _him_? "Is he upset?" she asked.

Wakka tilted his head. "Wouldn't _you_ be?"

"Dammit," Lulu swore under her breath. She waved her hand in the direction of her door. "You better go. I'll come down later, if I can find Tidus and have him take her home." Wakka nodded and headed back to face the firing squad.

Lulu turned back to Rikku when Wakka was gone, and looked at her sternly. When she saw the anguish on the younger girl's face, though, her features softened. "Rikku," she said in a quiet tone.

"I'm sorry, Lulu, I know I shouldn't have come down here. I just – I didn't realize that _he_ would be here," Rikku stammered, tears still flowing freely from her eyes.

"What happened?" Lulu asked her, kneeling down in front of the chair Rikku sat in.

"I was looking for Wakka, and um, _his_ door was the only one that was opened. So I just asked if he might know where Wakka was, and when he heard my voice, he looked up. And when he _saw_ me, he walked over, and he took me into his arms." Rikku's voice broke and gave way to a new round of tears. "I know he's the one, I _know_ he is. It was the _same_ as my memory. But I don't _know_ him, at all. There was no recognition of his face or his voice, or anything. Do you know what that _feels_ like?"

Lulu shook her head. She could not even begin to comprehend what Rikku was going through right now.

"I want to recognize you guys, I really do. But I _don't_. I'm getting to know you, but it's not like we're getting reacquainted or something, it's like we are complete strangers!" Rikku explained. "Even Yuna, who is my _cousin_. And the man who was – what _was _he to me, anyway?"

Lulu looked down. "Wouldn't you rather figure it out on your own?"

Rikku jumped out of her chair. "Yes! I _would_! But, Lulu, I really don't think that that is going to happen any time soon! My head hurts constantly from trying to remember, and yet no matter what I do, or what any of you do, I just can't _remember_." She crossed the room until she was standing by the window. She stared out over the city of Bevelle and sighed almost imperceptibly. "What if it's gone forever?" she asked in a tiny voice.

**Part Two**  
"_Two and a half weeks_?" Auron bellowed at Wakka. "You've had her for _two and a half weeks_? And nobody has said anything to me?" 

Wakka couldn't even meet the man's gaze. He had never in his _life _seen anyone as pissed off as LaGuard was right now. "Well, uh, we were just trying to avoid this whole situation," Wakka said lamely, knowing that what he said wasn't going to matter one iota to Auron LaGuard.

"And why, of all people, is she clinging to _you_?" Auron wanted to know.

Wakka winced. "Because, sir, she's, uh, been living at my apartment," he mumbled.

Auron stopped pacing and just stared at Wakka for what seemed like an eternity. "With you?" he asked, as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Lu figured it was safest. I would be the last one anyone would suspect. And you know, she did kinda have a point," Wakka explained.

"_I _could protect her better than any of you," Auron said harshly.

Wakka crossed his arms across his chest and glared stonily at the older man. "But Seymour's after _you_. Do you really want to risk that girl's life again just so you can keep your claim on her?"

Auron shot Wakka a deathly glare, but Wakka refused to stop. He wasn't scared of LaGuard now. His only interest now was keeping Rikku as far away from Seymour Guado as was humanly possible. "Look, Auron, I realize that you had a bit of a shock, ya? But you did not see her when we got her from that monster's place. Black an' blue from head to toe, broken ribs, eyes swollen shut ..." Wakka shuddered, remembering how Rikku had hung like a rag doll in his arms as he carried her out of Seymour's.

"But I could make sure he never touched her again!" Auron exclaimed.

"Auron, it's not just that!" Wakka shot back, jumping up out of his chair. "I don't want that poor girl to ever have to even _see_ his face again! After what he did to her, I'm ready to go find him and kill him myself, ya?"

Auron paused and looked at Wakka, studying him. "I see," Auron said quietly.

Wakka noticed the look on Auron's face and was quick to explain. "I see you thinkin' them funny thoughts, LaGuard, but you gotta stop. I want her to stay safe, and I want her to get her memory back, and I want to see Seymour rot for what he did to her, but that is _all_. So stop lookin' at me like I'm your competition, and start treatin' me like your ally here. We are both working to save the same girl, here."

Auron sat down at his desk and put his face in his hands. Wakka was right, and he was making a jackass of himself.

"I'm sorry, Wakka," he said after a long pause. He stood up and crossed the room until he was standing by the window. He stared out over the city and sighed. "You're absolutely right. And she probably _is_ safer with you than she would be with me. It's just – been a long time since I cared about someone more than I cared about myself."

**Part Three**  
Isaaru Brothers paged Yuna down to the laboratory later that afternoon. She hurried down to the lab and smiled at the head of the laboratory. "Is it done?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement. She noticed that he had made sure to bring her down here while everyone else was on their lunch break. When she had asked Isaaru for his help, he had understood that this was a highly confidential matter. 

Isaaru held up a vial of bright blue liquid. "It's all right here. From the extensive research we have done, we have found that this should clear up almost 98 percentof the memory loss. She may be a tiny bit more forgetful than she used to be, but she'll remember the important things."

Yuna squealed and threw herself into his arms in a very unprofessional manner. At this point, she didn't care. This man was a _genius_ and soon, Rikku would be good as new! "You are my hero!" she told him, taking the vial. "Is this all of it?"

"It took us almost a month to get that much just right. Don't lose it," he warned. "With the stuff that was used on your cousin, the longer it is in her system, the more damage it will do to the long-term memory."

Yuna nodded. He didn't need to continue. "And I should give her all of this at once?"

"Yes, inject all of it into one of her veins. It'll make her sleepy, and she may be out for a few days, but when she wakes up ..."

Yuna couldn't fight the grin that was creeping up on her face. "This is so wonderful. You should get an award or something."

"Indeed," a cruel voice said from behind Yuna.

Yuna closed her eyes and turned toward the doorway. Her heart sped up when she found herself face-to-face with Seymour Guado. "What are you doing here?" she hissed. Behind her back, she motioned for Isaaru to go out the back way. Isaaru wanted to protest, he didn't want to leave her here alone with this man, but she was forceful in her motions that he "get the _hell_ out".

Isaaru understood. He checked the inner pocket of his lab coat for the vial before darting out of the room. He had made one backup – but he hadn't told anyone. He had to alert hospital security, _quickly_, before this madman did something to Yuna, and then he had to get to the Police Department. He may be Rikku's last hope.

Yuna's attention was on the maniac before her. "You think you have it all figured out, don't you, daughter of Braska?" he sneered. "He too, was brave, right up until the very end."

"You _did_ kill him," she hissed, fighting back the tears that were threatening.

"I've killed lots of people," Seymour said noncommittally. "What's one more?" Yuna forced herself to stay calm as he walked toward her. "Of course, there _are_ things worse than death."

He paused mere inches from her. He traced the curve of her face with one long, snake-like finger. Yuna's skin crawled, but she managed to stay calm. "What do you want, Seymour?" she asked him.

"I want my wife back," he told her. "You took what didn't belong to you."

"Really? Didn't you take her first?" Yuna countered. It was getting harder for her to breathe. She had never been so terrified in all her life. She knew that was staring into the face of Death itself.

"She married me of her own accord. She's mine now," Seymour said threateningly.

"You drugged her! That's why she married you. But soon, she'll hate you too," Yuna hissed.

"Oh, really? Because of _this_?" Seymour took the vial from Yuna's hand, and she bit her lip. "I heard the little lab rat say that this was it." With a sneer, he dropped the vial on the floor and watched it shatter. "Poor little Rikku," he said.

Yuna watched it shatter, and her hopes along with it. _No, no, no, no, no!_ She kept repeating over and over to herself.

Her eyes widened as Seymour pulled out a syringe. Was he going to drug her the same way he had drugged Rikku? Seymour could see everything she feared written in her eyes.

"Don't worry, little Yuna," he said in a falsely comforting voice. "You'll have all your memories."

With that, he stuck the needle into Yuna's arm.

She gasped in pain. The room began to spin and get blurry, and she vomited, several times. After what seemed like an eternity, her world went black.

Seymour stared down at her limp form, lying on the floor of the lab. "You'll have all your memories, yes," he said again, brushing Yuna's dark hair off of her face. "But you won't be awake to share them with anyone."

He quickly left the hospital so as not to be found when security showed up. He knew that coward lab rat had gone to page them.

All security found when they got to the lab was one Dr. Summers, passed out on the floor, all but lifeless.

But for all Seymour's devious machinations of destruction, he had overlooked one key player.

Isaaru was on his way to the police department, holding a very precious vial in the deep pocket of his lab coat.

**A/N: Yay, another chappie! And quickly too! I hope you guys like this! See, I can be really shifty, sometimes. Just when things look like they are gonna get better -- BOOM! -- another Seymour moment. Well, I need more reviews guys! Please please please R&R and let me know what you think so far! I'll try to get more up as soon as possible. You know, I really do love writing this story, but it's not so much fun when it seems like no one is reading it ... Anyway, I really just hope you guys like this, and look for another chappie very very very soon! Enjoy and take care till next time! Rhianna XD**


	13. Chapter 13: Broken

**Chapter Thirteen  
****Broken**

**Part One**  
Rikku's eyes fluttered open and took in her surroundings. She was in a very non-descript apartment, wrapped comfortably in a few fluffy blankets. She felt slightly disoriented, like she'd been sleeping for a few days. 

Her eyes finally found their focus – the stunning brunette sitting opposite her in a worn armchair. When she saw that Rikku's eyes had opened, she jumped up. "Rikku!" she breathed.

Rikku pulled herself into a sitting position and looked at the woman. "Lulu? What is going on? Where am I?" Pausing, she sat back and looked around. Recognition dawned on her features, and her eyes widened as images of the past several weeks flooded her brain.

"Rikku ..." Lulu began slowly.

"Oh, my Gods," Rikku breathed out, tears flooding her green eyes. "Where's Auron? Where's _Yunie_?"

Lulu's heart rate returned to a normal pace, and she said a quick "thank Yevon" to herself. At least _one _of them had returned.

**Part Two  
**_The man in the lab coat had burst through the doors of the Police Department, a crazed, frantic look in his eyes. "I need to see Auron LaGuard," he told the desk clerk._

_Wakka had been on his way out the door when he heard the man's voice. He turned back to face him. "Are you from the hospital?" he asked, taking note of the man's lab coat._

_Isaaru nodded. "I'm Isaaru Brothers. I was working on something, for Yuna Summers."_

_Wakka's eyes widened in understanding. "Follow me," he told Isaaru. "I'm Wakka Capitan."_

_Isaaru nodded his recognition. "Yes, Yuna mentioned you."_

_Wakka led Isaaru back to Lulu's office, where Rikku sat. The doctor looked at the shaky young girl, and immediately knew that this was Rikku. Lulu looked at the man, and then at Wakka, a puzzled expression on her face._

_"Lu, this is the lab guy from the hospital," Wakka told her._

_Isaaru looked at the two cops. "I'm going to give this to her, and then one of you will need to take her home. She'll probably sleep for a few days, but when she wakes up, she should remember everything."_

_Lulu nodded. Then she turned to Rikku, who looked frightened. "What is that?" Rikku said frantically, noticing Isaaru's syringe. "No! I am not letting you inject me with that!"_

_Lulu knelt before her. "Shh, Rikku, it's okay," she said soothingly. "Isaaru is here to help you. He's going to reverse what Seymour did to you."_

_Rikku looked up at Wakka, who nodded his concurrence. Finally, Rikku closed her eyes and nodded. "Okay," she said._

_The medicine worked almost instantaneously, and Rikku fell into a deep sleep. Lulu motioned for Wakka to carry the girl out. "Take her to my car, and I'll take her back to your place," she said._

_As they turned to leave Lulu's office, they came face to face with Tidus. His eyes were full of rage. "Yo, what's up?" Wakka asked him._

_"Yuna," Tidus said, almost hissing with his anger._

_"What about Yuna?" Isaaru asked, his heart speeding up. He _knew_ he shouldn't have left her there alone!_

_"She's in a coma," Tidus spat. "Hospital security found her in the lab, passed out in her own vomit." He was trying to fight back the tears that were threatening. He was _not_ going to cry now. Yuna didn't need his tears, she needed his help!_

_"Oh, gods," Isaaru breathed. "This is my fault."_

_"How is it _your_ fault?" Lulu asked him._

_"When he showed up, I didn't want to leave her alone," Isaaru began. "But she was very adamant that I get the hell out. I think that making sure Rikku was safe was more important to her than anything. I thought ... I thought for sure if I alerted security on my way out, they would get there in time ..."_

_"When _who_ showed up?" Tidus asked, clenching and unclenching his fists as he spoke. He knew if he heard _that name_ spoken, he might come unhinged._

_"Guado," Isaaru said in a low voice._

_"He's fucking dead," Tidus pronounced. "I'll go and I will kill him myself!"_

_Lulu put a firm hand on the younger man's shoulder. "No, Tidus, you won't. What good will it do Yuna if you run off and get yourself killed." She turned to Isaaru. "You can find out what he gave her, can't you?"_

_Isaaru nodded. "Of course. I'll get straight to work on an antidote." With that, he hurried back to the hospital. There was no way he would let Yuna Summers die. He'd never be able to live with his own guilt ..._

_Tidus was still fighting mad. "We have to _do_ something!" he exclaimed. "We can't let him get away with this! First Rikku, now ... Yuna ..." His voice cracked when he spoke her name._

_"Tidus, listen to me," Lulu, the eternal voice of reason, said calmly. "Go and find LaGuard and bring him back here. Then, you and Wakka go to the hospital and sit with Yuna. Trust me, it's the best thing you can do for her right now. Are you listening to me?"_

_Tidus nodded reluctantly._

_"Good," Lulu continued. "Isaaru is going to bring Yuna back to us. And then and _only then_ will we deal with Seymour. But I won't let you go get yourself killed while you grieve."_

_A few minutes later, Tidus had returned with Auron. Auron took the sleeping Rikku from Wakka's arms, and stared down at her face, forgetting that anyone else was there._

_After Tidus and Wakka had left, Auron looked up at Lulu. "You know I'm going to kill him," Auron told her in a steely voice._

_Lulu looked down and nodded slowly. "I know."_

_"There's no reason to wait any longer," Auron continued. "We know where he is now, thanks to our anonymous informer. And I won't let him do this to another person."_

_"Auron, you really shouldn't ..."_

_"Don't _tell _me what I shouldn't do, Lulu!" Auron snapped. "I've sat back and watched him hurt too many people ... Too many people that I have cared about have been stolen from me, by him. But this ... this is the last straw."_

_"Will you at least wait a few days?" Lulu asked him. "Until Rikku wakes up?"_

_Auron closed his eyes for a moment before he nodded silently. "Until Rikku wakes up."_

**Part Three**  
Rikku had slept for two and a half days. But now she was awake, and she looked completely horrified. "Lulu, oh gods," she stammered. She looked down at her hands, and saw the gold band that no one had ever bothered to remove. "Oh, I'm gonna be sick!" 

Lulu watched with concern as Rikku raced to the bathroom and vomited. When she finally re-emerged, she looked pale and drawn. "I married _Seymour Guado_? I really did?" she asked in a voice barely above a whisper. "Where is everyone?"

Lulu didn't say anything at first. "Lulu!" Rikku snapped. "Where _is_ everybody?"

Lulu sighed. "At the hospital," she finally said. "Yuna ... She's in a coma."

Rikku's eyes widened. "Seymour?" she asked.

Lulu could only nod. "Do you want to go to her?"

"Yes! She's _Yunie_, I have to be there for her!"

When they reached the hospital, Lulu hadn't even put the car in "park" before Rikku had opened the door and was sprinting toward the entrance. She went to the receptionist. "Yuna Summers," she said.

"She's in ICU on the fourth floor," the lady told her. "I'm sorry, Miss, but no visitors allowed ..."

Rikku barely heard her, for she was already halfway to the elevator. She didn't even have time to wait for Lulu ... Yunie was in _trouble_, and she hadn't been there for her!

She burst through the double doors of the ICU waiting room and immediately spotted Wakka, pacing. "Wakka!" she cried, rushing to him.

"Rikku! You're awake!" he exclaimed, giving her a warm hug. "Are you ... I mean, do you ...?"

"I'm awake, I remember, and I want to see Yunie!" she demanded.

"They won't let anyone in to see her," Wakka told her sullenly.

"Dammit!" Rikku cried, kicking the wall forcefully. "I don't ... I can't ... Why is this _happening_?" she choked, feeling tears threatening once again.

"Don't worry," Tidus said from behind her. "It'll all be over soon."

Rikku turned to him and took him in her arms. "Tidus," she said. "Are you okay?"

The feel of Rikku's kind arms around him was too much. He allowed himself to give into the anguish he had been feeling for the past two-and-a-half days, and he let himself cry on her shoulder.

Rikku was so engrossed in comforting Tidus, that she didn't notice that a third man had entered the room. Tidus finally regained his composure and loosened his hold on Rikku.

Rikku straightened herself and gave Tidus a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "It'll be okay. If Isaaru could help _me_, then I am sure he'll be able to help Yunie."

Tidus nodded and then went still. Rikku wondered what it was that had caused him to freeze like that, so she turned around.

There he was. Like a pillar of strength and hope and dignity – her very own knight in shining armor, or Prince Charming, or something. As perfect as she last remembered him.

The thought made her want to laugh. And she _could_ laugh now, because she _did_ remember him. But she didn't feel like laughing. She felt like bursting into tears, and that's exactly what she did. "_Auron_ ..." she sighed, flinging herself into his arms without reservation.

He held her without saying a word, just stroked the silk of her hair and kissed the top of her head. "Welcome home," he finally managed.

Rikku pulled back and looked at him. He was right. She _was_ home now.

**A/N: Sorry this is so short, but it's just my little transitory chapter into the next events of the story. I just needed a little mid-way chapter that wasn't too long or over the top. I realize that there are other ways I could have done this, but really, this seemed like the easiest, least time-consuming way to do it. I hope you guys like it -- there are still a few more chapters to come, so this is by no means the END or anything ... that'd be a pretty sucky ending, ya know? lol I promise that the next chappies I get up will be longer, but for now, I hope you are okay with this! As always, R&R and thank you so much for all the great reviews I have gotten so far! I love you guys! Until next chap -- Rhianna XD**


	14. Chapter 14: From This Moment On

**Chapter Fourteen  
****From This Moment On**

**Part One**  
Sitting around the waiting room was absolutely maddening to Rikku. She had spent the last few months of her life shrouded in darkness, not knowing who was or wasn't her friend ... not even knowing _herself_, really. And now that all her memories were back and clear as day in her mind, but nobody would tell her anything. 

She started pacing back and forth, around and around the waiting room, until finally Auron could not take it any longer. If she stayed here much longer, she was going to burst. He caught her by the shoulders on one of her passes around the room.

She stopped and looked up at him. "Something wrong?" she asked him, still marveling at how incredibly handsome he was. _Yeah, that's an appropriate thought, given the situation_, she thought dryly.

"Yeah, something's wrong," he sighed. "Come on, we're getting out of here." He grabbed her jacket from the chair she had slung it over and handed it to her.

"But ... What about Yunie?" Rikku exclaimed.

"You're not doing her any good, pacing around here like a crazy person," Auron told her. "Lulu or Wakka will call us if there is any change. Though that's not likely until Isaaru can figure out the antidote."

Rikku finally nodded. Auron was right. Hell, Auron was _always_ right. _Aha!_ _I've found a flaw! He's human after all!_ She just smiled up at him softly. "Okay, let's go."

The two rode the elevator to the ground floor and stepped outside the hospital into the chilly November evening air. Rikku shivered a bit in her jacket, and Auron stepped beside her and put his arm around her.

Rikku couldn't help but to smile a little. She knew the situation with Yuna was dire, and she was worried about her, but she'd also been in her own personal _hell_ for the past few months, and she just wanted to relish a little bit of selfish pleasure.

"Where do you want to go?" Auron asked her.

Rikku sighed and looked around her. "Can we – just walk for awhile? We've never gotten to do that." Her voice was small and sad, and Auron held her close and kissed the top of her head.

The pair walked around the city for about an hour, until Auron came to an abrupt stop in front of an apartment building.

"What?" Rikku asked him. "What is it?"

Auron cleared his throat. "This is my building," he told her.

Rikku looked at it and bit her lower lip. "Oh," she said quietly.

"Rikku, do you ..."

Rikku cut him off with a deep kiss on the mouth. She pulled away and smiled at him dreamily. "Yes," she breathed, looking him in the eye. "Yes, yes, a thousand times _yes_!"

He didn't know why he felt so nervous ... it wasn't as if this was a new experience for him. But it _was _a new experience, he told himself. Because it was _Rikku_. Perfect, beautiful, angelic Rikku. The only woman he would ever love. He fumbled with his key in the lock, and finally pushed the door open.

Rikku walked in and looked around the apartment, assessing it. "Well, Mr. LaGuard," she said sternly. "You are a slob. We're going to have to change that ..."

Auron didn't let her finish. He grabbed her roughly around the waist and pulled her close to him. But he didn't kiss her mouth, as she had expected him to. First, he lightly brushed his lips across her forehead, and then he ever so softly kissed the tip of her nose.

Rikku smiled at him, unaware that he could be so blatantly – _sweet_. "You know, Auron LaGuard," she whispered against his neck as he removed her jacket and tossed it across the room. "I _am_ a married woman." She began unbuttoning his shirt, letting her hands caress the flesh of his torso as she went along.

"Oh, right," Auron said, chuckling a bit. "That." Ever so carefully, he lifted her left hand and examined the gold band that still encircled her finger.

Rikku looked down and bit her lip. "Damn thing," she said softly.

"I'll be right back," Auron whispered, leaving a trail of kisses along her neck.

Rikku giggled and watched him walk off down the hallway, her mind full of questions. What the hell was he _doing_?

He came back out a few minutes later, holding a cactus blossom out to her. Rikku smiled at him and accepted the bloom. She held it to her nose and inhaled its sweet scent. "It's beautiful," she told him.

"As are you," he told her. "Rikku ... I am sorry about what happened to you."

Rikku shook her head. "It's not your fault, Auron," she told him. "It's not anybody's fault, except Seymour's. And he'll get his in the end. Even if I have to do it myself." She said it in jest, but Auron heard the steel will behind her voice. He had no doubt that if it came down to it, she really _would_ go through with it ... He shuddered. He didn't want to think of anything getting that bad.

"Still ... I have never been so scared in my life as I was when you were gone," he told her honestly. "I don't want to go through that again."

Rikku reached out and ran her fingers through his dark hair lightly. "You won't. I'm not going anywhere. For better or worse, you're stuck with me."

Auron reacted to her words. _For better or worse ..._ Slowly, he took her left hand again. "Do you mean that?" he asked her.

"Of course I do," she told him.

"Well, then ... I know this isn't the most conventional way to go about this ... but we only have but a few moments," Auron told her seriously. Slowly, he slid the gold band that Seymour had placed on her finger off, and replaced it with a more delicate platinum band that was practically glowing with tiny, sparkling diamonds.

Rikku's eyes widened. "Oh, _Auron_," she breathed.

"Shh," he told her, leading her to the sliding doors that led to his balcony. "I know that this is crazy," he told her. "But I lost you once ... I don't want to _ever _go through that again. And, even though things may not work out the way that we plan, I want you to always have tonight to look back on."

He turned and faced her, the moonlight their only illumination. "Rikku Sands, from this day forward, in sickness and in health, for richer for poorer, I vow to love you and honor you. And _remember _you," he added vehemently. He didn't expect her to understand now, but soon, everything would be different. Things that were never supposed to change would be gone. And he just couldn't leave her like that.

Rikku just stared at him, tears streaming down her cheeks. "For better for worse, I will love you until I die," she responded. In her heart of hearts, she knew that something was happening here, something that she had no control over. But she had this moment, this glorious shining moment in which she was truly and completely a bride.

Even if it was only for a little while.

Rikku looked back up at him. "You may now ... kiss me ..." she whispered, eyes closed, leaning in to catch his mouth with her own.

They made love several times that night, each time with a bit more urgency than the last. Rikku was beginning to understand. Yuna would wake up soon ... Seymour would be found, and disposed of ... But Auron, her Auron ...

She didn't know for how long, and she didn't know where he would go ... but he would have to leave.

**Part Two**  
They didn't go back to the hospital the next day. They spent it in bed, with each other, savoring the time and the company. Rikku lay in his arms and stared down at her left hand in awe. 

"This is the real thing," she told him.

"Well, I would hope so, as much money as I spent on it," he joked.

Rikku hit him with a pillow. "Not the _ring_, dummy – though it _is_ gorgeous. No, _this_ marriage ... _this_ is real. _This_ is how it's supposed to be. Just the two of us, happy."

_Happy_ ... the word reverberated through Auron's brain. If only it could be that simple. Because as much as he wanted it to be over, he knew that ridding Spira of Seymour wouldn't be the end. Not even close.

People wouldn't like that Seymour was gone ... and they would come after _him_. This plan had been in action long before, and he had always known that he would leave Bevelle someday. He just hadn't ever planned on falling in love with someone.

Rikku sensed him pulling away from her, mentally, and she tried like hell to pull him back. _Oh, no you don't_, she thought angrily. _You're not gone yet, Auron. You're still mine._ _And even when you are gone ... you'll still be mine._ She fingered her ring gingerly and smiled up at him.

The look in his eyes spoke volumes. "You're – you're not gonna wait for Yunie to wake up, are you?" she whispered.

His voice cracked. "Rikku, I can't."

She nodded. "I understand." She looked down. "Who are you taking with you?"

"Tidus and Wakka ... but they'll be back," Auron told her slowly.

"And you?"

"I'll come back ... to see you," was all he would say.

But Rikku knew what he really meant. _I'll come back ... to say goodbye_.

"Are you sorry?" Auron asked her after a long moment.

Rikku studied him long and hard. "Are you kidding me?" she whispered. "I could never be sorry about _you_." She leaned in and kissed him again, and they let the passion take them over one more time.

This would be their last day together, maybe for a very long time.

But if Auron thought she was going to let him go off to face the madman who had tortured her, poisoned her mind, and done despicable things to her body – not to mention what he had done to her beloved cousin – _without her_, well, he had another thing coming.

But she'd be damned if she'd tell him that. She wasn't about to let him lecture her and scold her and tell her that it wasn't her place ... because her place was beside him, right up until the very end.

**Part Three  
**She had gone back to the hospital very early the next morning, and snuck past the nurses' station. When she looked in on her sleeping cousin, her heart broke, but her resolve grew even more. "He'll pay, Yunie. I'll make sure of that," she whispered. "And then we'll make sure you get better ..." She blew her cousin a kiss and crept back out of the building.

She had come across a copy of the map that had been provided to the P.D. when she had been kidnapped in Auron's desk at his apartment. Auron, Wakka, and Tidus had all left a few hours ago, and now it was her turn to go. Once she was there, there would be nothing Auron could do to stop her.

She would not falter. She would be _steel_. And she would see that this maniac got what he deserved ... She knew that she would not rest until she saw him dead with her own two eyes.

She whispered a silent prayer to whatever Higher Power was listening, and headed into the bowels of the city ...

She was approaching her deliverance.

**A/N: Whew, angsty, romantic, sad, fluffy ... And we're almost at the end kiddies ... I'm HOPING HOPING HOPING to have the final two chappies up by the time this weekend is over! I want to thank everyone for reading this, I really do love you guys! Please keep the reviews coming! I love to hear from you guys! Enjoy this chappie and I'll be back soon with the next one! Love, Rhianna XD**


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